This Wormwood species, Sweet Wormwood (aka. Sweet Annie, Qing Hao; Artemisia annua), is an annual that is native to temperate Asia, especially China, but now naturalized in other parts of the world.
The plant produces small bright green leaves with small greenish-yellow flowers arranged in loose panicles. The whole plant is very aromatic, producing between 0-1.5% artemisinin (or more in newer hybrids), a natural compound which has been derivatized and now a standard malaria treatment (artemisinin-combination therapies, ACTs) against multidrug-resistant malaria.
Sweet Wormwood has various uses: its leaves and stems can be dried for herbal teas, while its essential oils are utilized in perfumes and flavoring agents. Additionally, the fibrous stems have been investigated for use in making textiles and natural dyes.
This plant is commonly called “Sweet” because of its pleasant and sweet aroma it emits, which can also be used to distinguish it from other Artemisia species, which are more pungent. An essential oil in the leaves of Sweet Wormwood is also used as a flavoring in spirits, like vermouth.
Sweet Wormwood also has a long history of use in traditional medicine for fever, its antibacterial activity and ability to stop bleeding. It also has traditional uses across Asia and Africa to treat digestive issues, inflammation, and parasitic infections.
Through scientific investigation, a wide range of activities have been found for Sweet Wormwood, including antimalarial, antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities.
There is interest in the development of other artemisinin-based drugs, as they show activity against not only malaria, but potentially other conditions, such as cancer, HIV and the SARS-associated coronavirus.
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**This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.
Sweet Antiviral
