Wormwood: identifying, growing, making tea and DIY absinthe

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is the most bitter herb in the European herb garden, and the plant behind absinthe. With its silver-grey, finely cut leaves it's also an elegant garden plant. In this guide you'll learn how to tell real wormwood apart from its relatives, which form suits you, how to grow and harvest it, how to make tea from it and how to make your own absinthe with a kit.

What is wormwood?

Wormwood is a hardy subshrub from the daisy family (Asteraceae). It grows 60 to 120 centimetres tall, with a woody base and soft, silver-grey stems. The leaves are deeply divided and covered on both sides with fine, felty hairs. From July to September, sprays of small, yellow-green balls appear: the flower heads. Crush a leaf and you'll immediately smell that sharp, herbal scent.

The plant is native to Europe, North Africa and Western Asia and grows in the Netherlands in dry, sunny places, sometimes gone wild on roadsides and dykes. For centuries wormwood has been used in herbal bitters, vermouth and of course absinthe, the famous green fairy.

Wormwood or a relative?

The Artemisia genus is large, and garden centres also use the name for ornamental plants. These are the species you're most likely to come across:

	Wormwood	Mugwort	Tarragon	Sweet wormwood
Botanical name	Artemisia absinthium	Artemisia vulgaris	Artemisia dracunculus	Artemisia annua
Leaf	Silver-grey and felty on both sides, deeply divided	Dark green on top, white and felty underneath	Narrow and smooth, fresh green	Finely feathered, bright green
Scent and taste	Very bitter, sharp and herbal	Mildly herbal	Aniseed-like	Sweet and herbal
Use	Bitters, absinthe, tea	Herb for rich dishes	Kitchen herb	Ornamental, dried flower
Growth	Perennial subshrub	Perennial, common on roadsides	Perennial	Annual

Grey ornamental types such as 'Powis Castle' look like real wormwood at first glance, but they're hybrids grown for decoration. For tea and absinthe, only use Artemisia absinthium.

What's in it?

The bitter taste comes from bitter compounds such as absinthin and artabsin. That puts wormwood among the most bitter herbs there are: you can still taste it even when heavily diluted. Wormwood also contains essential oil with thujone. Thujone is the compound behind absinthe's wild reputation. In high doses it can overstimulate your nervous system, which is why the EU sets a maximum of 35 mg per kilo for alcoholic drinks made with wormwood. The idea that absinthe makes you hallucinate is a myth, by the way. Read more in our blog Will absinthe really make you hallucinate? No health claims have been approved for wormwood in the EU, so we don't promise any effects either.

Which form should you choose?

At Dutch-Smart you'll find wormwood in five forms:

Product	Form	Use	Best for
Wormwood 50 grams	Dried, cut herb	Tea, homemade bitters	Anyone who wants to brew or infuse it themselves
Absinthe wormwood 1:1 extract	Liquid herbal extract	Drops, as directed on the packaging	Anyone who'd rather not brew tea
Wormwood Absinthe 10:1 extract	Concentrated extract, 3 grams	Small amounts, as directed on the packaging	Experienced users
Absinthe alkaloid extract	Liquid, highly concentrated	Drops, build up slowly	Experienced users
Absinthe kit	Herb and spice mix	Make your own absinthe with your own spirit	Anyone who wants to experience the ritual

Growing wormwood

Wormwood is a tough, easy plant for a sunny, dry spot. It likes poor, well-drained and preferably chalky soil. It doesn't like wet feet in winter, but frost is no problem.

Sowing in 5 steps

1. Sow indoors in March or April in a tray with seed or cutting compost.
2. Scatter the tiny seeds thinly over the surface and press them in. Don't cover them, wormwood needs light to germinate.
3. Put the tray somewhere bright at 15 to 20 °C, with a clear lid over it.
4. Keep the soil lightly moist with a spray bottle. After one to three weeks you'll see seedlings.
5. Prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them outside after mid-May, 50 to 60 centimetres apart.

Care and pruning

Only water during long dry spells and don't feed it, in rich soil the plant gets floppy and less aromatic. Cut it back in spring to 15 to 20 centimetres above the ground, just above new buds, and not into the old wood. That keeps it compact and nicely grey. Careful with your vegetable patch: wormwood releases bitter compounds into the soil, so other plants nearby grow less well. Give it its own spot, for example in a gravel garden or border.

Harvesting and drying

1. Harvest in July or August, just as the plant starts to flower.
2. On a dry morning, cut the top 20 to 30 centimetres of the flowering stems.
3. Tie them in small bunches and hang them upside down somewhere dark and airy.
4. Once the herb rustles dry, strip it from the stems and store it in a dark, airtight jar.

No plant of your own? With Wormwood 50 grams you'll have dried herb at home straight away. You'll find more bitter and relaxing herbs among our relaxing herbs.

Making wormwood tea in 5 steps

1. Take 1 to 1.5 grams of dried wormwood, about one heaped teaspoon.
2. Pour 150 ml of boiling water over it, a small cup.
3. Let it steep, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. The longer it steeps, the more bitter it gets.
4. Strain out the herb. To soften the bitterness, add honey, a strip of orange peel or a little mint.
5. Stick to a maximum of two cups a day and don't drink it for more than two weeks in a row.

Wormwood tea isn't something to quench your thirst with, it's a bitter. A few sips say more than a whole mug.

Making your own absinthe with the kit

With the Absinthe kit you can make your own absinthe at home. The kit contains the herbs and spices, you add the spirit yourself.

1. Choose a neutral spirit, such as vodka or another neutral grain spirit.
2. Let the herbs infuse as described in the kit's instructions, somewhere dark and at room temperature.
3. Shake the bottle now and then, so the flavour is released evenly.
4. Strain the mix through a fine sieve or coffee filter and store your absinthe in a dark bottle.
5. Serve it the traditional way: put a sugar cube on an absinthe spoon over the glass and slowly drip ice-cold water over it, about three to five parts water to one part absinthe.

Homemade absinthe is strong. Drink it in moderation, never before driving, and only if you're 18 or older.

Safety

Wormwood is a potent bitter. In normal amounts it's fine to work with, but keep these points in mind:

• Don't use it if you're pregnant, breastfeeding or under 18.
• Liver and gallbladder: don't use it if you have liver disease, bile duct problems or gallstones.
• Epilepsy: because of the thujone, don't use it if you have epilepsy.
• Allergy: if you're allergic to daisy-family plants such as chamomile, arnica or ragweed, you may react to wormwood too.
• Keep it moderate: no more than 2 to 3 grams a day as tea, and not for longer than two weeks in a row. Extracts are stronger, so follow the packaging there.

Common mistakes

• Using ornamental wormwood: grey garden types such as 'Powis Castle' aren't Artemisia absinthium. Only use the real species for tea and absinthe.
• Covering the seed with soil: wormwood germinates in the light. Under a layer of soil, little comes up.
• Soil that's too rich or wet: the plant gets floppy, less fragrant and can rot away in winter.
• Planting it next to your vegetables: its bitter compounds hold back the growth of nearby plants.
• Making the tea too strong: too much herb or too long a steep gives you a cup that's almost undrinkable. Start with a teaspoon and five minutes.
• Pruning too hard: cut into the old wood and the plant will barely sprout again, if at all.

Frequently asked questions

Is wormwood legal in the Netherlands?

Yes. Wormwood is freely available as a herb, extract and garden plant. Absinthe is legal too, as long as the drink stays within the European maximum for thujone. In the Netherlands, absinthe was banned from 1909 to 2005.

Is wormwood hardy?

Yes, wormwood copes well with frost. It does hate wet soil in winter, so give it a well-drained spot.

How bitter is wormwood tea?

Very bitter. Wormwood is one of the most bitter herbs you can buy. Start with a small amount and a short steep, and add honey or orange peel if you like.

What's the difference between wormwood and mugwort?

Both are Artemisia species. Wormwood has silver-grey leaves that are felty on both sides and tastes extremely bitter. Mugwort has leaves that are dark green on top and white underneath, and tastes much milder.

Does absinthe make you hallucinate?

No. Modern absinthe contains far too little thujone for that. The green fairy story mainly comes from the nineteenth century, when absinthe was often of poor quality and very strong. Our blog on hallucinating from absinthe tells the whole story.

Where can I buy wormwood?

You'll find dried wormwood (50 grams) among the relaxing herbs, the absinthe wormwood 1:1 extract in tinctures, the 10:1 extract in extracts and the Absinthe kit in the smartshop.

Sources: EMA, EU herbal monograph Artemisia absinthium, EMA, Public statement on thujone, Wikipedia (NL), Alsem.