Seedy Saturdays- Wormwood

Happy Saturday Everyone!  Here is today's plant.

Wormwood is native to Eurasia and Northern Africa, but is naturalized widely in Canada and the northern United States.  It is grown as a decorative plant, but is also an ingredient in certain alcoholic drinks, especially absinthe.  Aside from the “green monster,” it adds flavour to other wines and spirits, such as vermouth, and was used instead of hops in beer in England during the 1700s.   In Europe today, it is used as a medicine traditionally, for stimulating appetite and to relieve indigestion.

Wormwood may look like an ordinary plant, but its leaves and flowers hold a secret.  They house what is call terpene thujone, which is a bitter, aromatic substance that is thought to cause clarity of thought, increased sense of perception, enhanced creativity, inspiration and the ability to “see beyond…” all without explanation.  These effects were discovered in the 19^th century by poets, writers and other artists.