Wormwood is a woody perennial native to Europe, southern Siberia, Kashmir, and the Mediterranean. This is a strikingly large, soft, and mellow plant for the medicinal landscape.

Wormwood exhibits bitter, carminative, and anthelmintic properties. Traditionally, wormwood has been used in a wide range of conditions, most of which have been vindicated by scientific analysis of the herb. It is primarily used as a bitter, and therefore has the effect of stimulating and invigorating the whole of the digestive process.

Wormwood may be used where there is indigestion, especially when due to a deficient quantity or quality of gastric juice. Wormwood is a remedy for the treatment of parasitic worms, especially roundworm and pinworm, and parasites.

Medicinally, wormwood was traditionally used as a bitter to improve digestion and to fight worm infestations.

The aromatic oil of wormwood contains the toxins thujone and isothujone. Small amounts of this oil are present in wormwood teas or tinctures.

Strong bitters are also present in the plant that are known as absinthin and anabsinthin, which are known to stimulate digestive functions.