Mugwort

Artemisia vulgaris · 艾叶

Herbs & Roots. Western & European and Chinese Medicine.

Also called Felon herb, Cronewort, Chrysanthemum weed

Pinyin: Ài Yè

Spanish: Artemisa

Avoid in pregnancy

A silver-leaved relative of wormwood, used in women's health and as moxa in Chinese medicine.

Did you know? Dried mugwort is burned as moxa on the skin, a practice in Chinese medicine that goes back more than 2,000 years.

What it may help, and how strong the proof is

Women's health. Used for period pain and to bring on periods. Human trials are missing, and it should not be used in pregnancy.
Traditional proof
Sleep. Folk pillows and teas are used for sleep and dreams. Little evidence exists.
Traditional proof
Digestion & gut health. Bitter tea used for appetite and digestion. Mostly tradition.
Traditional proof

Parts of the body

Hormones & reproduction, Brain & mind, Gut & intestines, Stomach

Traditional use

In Chinese medicine, ai ye is used for bleeding, cold in the womb, and warming the body. In Europe, mugwort was used in folk remedies and once helped flavor beer before hops became common.

How it is classified

Herbal actions: Emmenagogue, Antispasmodic, Bitter. Energy: warming.
Chinese medicine: 艾叶 Stop bleeding. Nature: warm. Flavour: pungent, bitter. Enters the Liver, Spleen and Kidney channels.

How people take it

Tea is usually about 1 teaspoon of dried leaf per cup. Moxa, the burning of dried leaf on the skin, should be done by a trained practitioner, since it can burn.

Tea, tincture and topical.

Where to get it

Grows along roadsides and waste ground across Europe, Asia, and North America. Sold as dried leaf, tea, and moxa sticks.

Be careful

Contains thujone and other compounds. It may stimulate the uterus and has been linked to miscarriage in traditional use, so avoid it in pregnancy. People sensitive to ragweed or daisies may react. Moxa can cause skin burns.

Avoid if: pregnancy; breastfeeding; ragweed allergy; epilepsy.

Mixing with other things

Works well together
A close relative, used in bitter and digestive traditions.

The honest take

Mugwort has a long tradition in women's health and Chinese moxibustion, but almost no good human trials test its herbal uses. Its uterine effects make it a poor choice in pregnancy. Moxa burns are a real risk, so use it only with a trained practitioner.