Southernwood wakes you up and perks you up as well

Southernwood, Artemisia abrotanum (syn. Artemisia procera), is also sometimes known as appleringie, boy’s love, European sage, garderobe, garden sagebrush, lad’s love, lemon plant, lover’s plant, maid’s ruin, old man, oldman wormwood, our Lord’s wood, slovenwood or Southern wormwood. It’s a close relative of wormwood and sage brush, but is not related to sage.

The names lad’s love, lover’s plant, maid’s ruin, and possibly old man all refer to the belief that it increases virility, a belief that goes back as far as Ancient Greece where they used to put it under the mattress to increase lust. Garderobe refers to its function as an insect repellent possibly used as a moth proofer. It’s called lemon plant because of its use for lemon flavoring. If you know the origin of appleringie, our Lord’s wood or slovenwood, please let me know.

Southernwood is a herb of cultivation and is not found in the wild. It is a deciduous shrub which reaches a height of around 4 feet (1.2m). It’s not fussy about soil – even poor soil is fine so long as it is well drained – and will tolerate drought. It will not grow in full shade.

Southernwood is not suitable for use by pregnant women, particularly in the first trimester (when you may not even be aware that you are pregnant), so if you are trying for a baby do not use this herb.

Southernwood is not much used nowadays except in Germany, which is a surprise, as it has many uses. However, it should not be taken over an extended period or in large doses, because it is after all a member of the wormwood family (which has a reputation for toxicity).

To make a standard infusion add 500ml (2 US cups, 16 fl oz) of boiling water to 30g (1 ounce) of dried or 3 handfuls of fresh leaves. Allow to stand for between 15 minutes and 4 hours then strain off the herb and discard.

To make a poultice, mix chopped fresh or dried leaves with some hot water to moisten, wrap in a fine bandage and apply to the area to be treated, refreshing in the hot water (which should be kept hot) as required.

Taken internally, southernwood is particularly useful for disorders affecting the digestive system. Not only does it remove obstructions and function as a mild laxative, but it stimulates the production of bile and improves liver function. It also destroys intestinal worms. It also stimulates the uterus and encourages menstruation, while on the male side of the equation it has a reputation stretching back thousands of years as a protection against impotence. All these benefits probably account for its recommendation as a good general tonic.

Externally, a poultice is used in Germany for frostbite, skin conditions, splinters and wounds. A standard infusion can be used as a hair rinse to treat dandruff and as an insect repellent if applied to the skin. Adding the leaves to the bath is used to counter sleepiness. Finally, it is reputed to stimulate hair growth, once used by young men in Southern Europe to encourage beard growth by rubbing the leaves on their faces.

I almost forgot to mention that southernwood is also an antiseptic.

As with all herbs grown for medicinal use, southernwood should be grown organically to avoid corruption of its essential constituents. To find out more about growing organic Southernwood visit the Gardenzone.

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