Mugwort is a perennial herb reaching a height of up to 1.5 m (5 ft) and growing wild in a number of similar forms throughout the northern hemisphere - from the Mediterranean to Lapland, from India to Siberia, and from Mexico to Alaska. Hence the Latin name vulgaris, meaning common or widespread. It is grown mainly in the Balkan Peninsula, Italy, France and the former USSR.
It is also found in western Asia and North America. If it does not grow wild nearby, it can be readily grown in the garden, either from seed or from young shoots detached and replanted during the flowering period. The top parts of the herb, either fresh or dried, have a number of uses. Drying must proceed slowly, at a temperature no greater than 35C (95F).
In medieval times it was also believed that the juice of wormwood mixed with sweet milk was effective 'against worms in the womb and in the ears'. Wormwood is also used to flavour many bitter drinks including absinthe, vermouth and tonic water.
The common barberry is a spiny deciduous shrub up to 2 m (6 ft) high with upright branches and yellow flowers. When insects alight on the flowers they brush against the stamens. These curve inwards towards the pistil in the centre, thereby pollinating the plant. The fruits are bright red, fleshy berries that ripen in September and often remain on the shrub until late winter.
Tarragon is a perennial herb 60 to 120 cm (2 to 4 ft) high with entire, undivided, broadly linear leaves and tiny flowers. The name Artemisia is apparently derived from Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt and patron of virgins, for some Artemisia species have abortive properties. The specific name dracunculus is the Latin word meaning small dragon, or snake, probably in reference to the linear, tongue-shaped leaves. The 13th-century Spanish physician and botanist Ibn Baithar states that fresh tarragon shoots were cooked with vegetables and the juice of tarragon was used to flavour beverages. He further writes that tarragon sweetens the breath, dulls the taste of bitter medicines and promotes sleep.
They can also be made into a delicious juice or marmalade, or fermented to yield an excellent distillate. The dried sour berries in powdered form are good with grilled meats. - 16035
It is also found in western Asia and North America. If it does not grow wild nearby, it can be readily grown in the garden, either from seed or from young shoots detached and replanted during the flowering period. The top parts of the herb, either fresh or dried, have a number of uses. Drying must proceed slowly, at a temperature no greater than 35C (95F).
In medieval times it was also believed that the juice of wormwood mixed with sweet milk was effective 'against worms in the womb and in the ears'. Wormwood is also used to flavour many bitter drinks including absinthe, vermouth and tonic water.
The common barberry is a spiny deciduous shrub up to 2 m (6 ft) high with upright branches and yellow flowers. When insects alight on the flowers they brush against the stamens. These curve inwards towards the pistil in the centre, thereby pollinating the plant. The fruits are bright red, fleshy berries that ripen in September and often remain on the shrub until late winter.
Tarragon is a perennial herb 60 to 120 cm (2 to 4 ft) high with entire, undivided, broadly linear leaves and tiny flowers. The name Artemisia is apparently derived from Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt and patron of virgins, for some Artemisia species have abortive properties. The specific name dracunculus is the Latin word meaning small dragon, or snake, probably in reference to the linear, tongue-shaped leaves. The 13th-century Spanish physician and botanist Ibn Baithar states that fresh tarragon shoots were cooked with vegetables and the juice of tarragon was used to flavour beverages. He further writes that tarragon sweetens the breath, dulls the taste of bitter medicines and promotes sleep.
They can also be made into a delicious juice or marmalade, or fermented to yield an excellent distillate. The dried sour berries in powdered form are good with grilled meats. - 16035
