Artemisia campestris
| Artemisia campestris | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 6.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 5' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Early Fall |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Artemisia campestris (common name: field southernwood)
Propagation: Seed - surface sow from late winter to early summer in a greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring or autumn.
Cultivation: Easily grown in a well-drained circumneutral or slightly alkaline loamy soil, preferring a sunny position[1][2]. Established plants are drought tolerant[2]. Plants are longer lived, more hardy and more aromatic when they are grown in a poor dry soil[3].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[4].
Range: Temperate regions throughout the northern hemisphere, including Britain.
Habitat: A very local plant in Britain, confined to the breckland heaths of eastern Britain[5].
Medicinal: Related to the southernwood, A. abrotanum, this species has similar though milder medicinal properties[6]. The herb is anthelmintic, antiseptic, cholagogue, deobstruent, emmenagogue, stomachic and tonic[6][7][8]. The main use of this herb is as an emmenagogue, it is also a good stimulant tonic and has some nervine principle[6]. The leaves have been chewed in order to treat stomach problems[9]. The plant was used by some native North American Indian tribes as an abortifacient to terminate difficult pregnancies[9]. Externally, the plant has been crushed and applied to rheumatic joints, eczema, bruises and sores[9]. A poultice of the crushed leaves has been applied to sore eyes[9].
An infusion of the roots has been used, especially on children, as a hair tonic and to treat scalp infections[9]. It has been taken internally to promote urination and bowel movements[9].
Usage: The pulverized roots are aromatic and have been used as a perfume[9].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Monoecious
Known Hazards: Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, skin contact with some members of this genus can cause dermatitis or other allergic reactions in some people[10].
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.