Wormwood

About Wormwood

Artemisia absinthium is one of the bitterest herbs known. It is the defining ingredient of absinthe, which was banned in the United States in 1912 and in France in 1915 amid fears about the compound thujone. Later research found thujone levels in absinthe were too low to explain its reputation, and the bans were eventually lifted. The word vermouth comes from the German name for wormwood. It was traditionally used to expel intestinal worms and stimulate digestion. Its silvery foliage is ornamental.