Plants with a healing effect >>>> Artemisia abrotanum - how to use for medicinal purposes?

Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) - how to use for medicinal purposes?

Plant Southernwood - botanical name "Artemisia Abrotanum L." (not to be confused with Wormwood "Artemisia Absinthium L.") is a plant of the Astrov family and the closest relative of Tarragon. Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) is an ancient remedy that monasteries grew in their pharmacy gardens and used to prepare various medicinal products. For its medicinal characteristics, Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) was called "God's tree", and due to the multiple spectrum of aromas of the plant and rather high growth, it received another name "Dill tree". In fact, the plant has nothing to do with trees or Dill, although it reaches the height of a shrub, and the carved leaves of this variety of Artemisia resemble those of Dill. Dill smell is not emitted, but it is felt on a par with other aromas - needles, oregano, strawberries and citrus fruits (not to be confused with Lemon Artemisia - this is a different kind of plant and an independent species of Artemisia). The European name for Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) is "Citronel", the same name of the plant is also used in cooking.

Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) has been endowed with many useful properties, including ritual ones, from ancient times. The formation of this plant in a number of medicinal has come a long way: from the ritual fumigation of rooms to expel evil spirits to the use on the occasion of the celebration for aromatization of rooms. Today, the plant Southernwood is used as an essential oil aromatic crop, as a spice and as a natural remedy. First of all, aromas attract culinary specialists, and a plant already tested in cooking as a spice also attracts with its healing properties.

The entire aerial part of the plant is full of aromatic oils (up to 1.5% in the raw mass of raw materials, it includes very rare substances - Citral and Linalool), therefore, for the production of aromatic oils, the entire green mass of the Southernwood plant is used as raw material, but to a greater extent they are rich in oils leaves and inflorescences of the plant. The collection of raw materials (green mass) begins at the stage of budding, when the level of essential oils in the aerial part of the plant reaches its maximum. Both fresh young shoots with plant buds and dried parts of the plant are used as a blank for storage. Store dry Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) in hermetically sealed containers so that essential oils do not evaporate.

Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) has clinical and biological properties of the plant - antiseptic, which are determined by the presence of a high level of essential oils in the composition of the plant.

Infusions of Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) are appropriate to use as gargles for infectious diseases of the throat, and plant oils are also suitable for inhalation of the respiratory tract.

In addition to its antiseptic properties, the plant has wound healing properties, and this property of Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) is very often used to treat abrasions, cuts, skin dermatitis and a variety of other skin problems. Southernwood is a favorite plant of herbal medicine used to improve the condition of the skin and stimulate hair trophism. Its infusions are used externally as compresses and baths and for rinsing when washing the body and head.

Infusions of the plant Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) are also used for compresses and baths for diseases of the joints, for sprains and bruises. Infusions of this plant relieve swelling of the skin in places of injury or inflammation.

This type of plant does not have that specific bitterness as its counterparts of the same name, for example, Wormwood, but, like any spice, Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) contains a certain percentage of bitterness, which is used as an antimicrobial and anthelmintic agent as part of infusions for oral administration. When the green mass of the plant is dried, the bitter taste is practically not preserved. The plant is convenient in that in the manufacture of medicinal infusions, aromatic drinks are obtained with very pleasant shades of taste and smell, well combined with fruits and berries, flower teas , as well as with any medicinal herbal infusions with an unattractive taste (an infusion of Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) ennobles any tasteless medicinal infusion) .

The slight bitterness of a freshly picked plant, when added to soups, salads, sauces, teas or other drinks, stimulates enzymatic activity in the process of eating, thereby improving the digestion process itself. But for people with increased enzymatic activity, Artemisia Medicinal is contraindicated in large quantities - only light flavoring of dishes and drinks without brewing.

Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) is also excellent in culinary business, as well as in medical matters. It is a popular plant for making vinegars, marinades, pickles. Mayonnaise, cottage cheese, cheeses (including sweet ones) can be flavored with a squeeze from a plant, home-made drinks are also flavored with it to give them a noble taste, especially such flavoring is well suited for home winemaking, fruit and berry tinctures. Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) is a popular flavoring for baking (muffins, cakes, pies), as well as casseroles, vegetable and pasta side dishes. In company with juniper berries, Southernwood is used as a spice when baking special types of bread, giving such bread a "Forest" flavor. The plant Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) goes well with Juniper berries - their aromas complement each other, and the beneficial properties are preserved and summarized.

Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) has properties that must be taken into account when preparing dishes and infusions with her participation. Infusions of Southernwood and all parts of the plant (both dry and fresh spices) are not recommended to be heated in more than 40 degrees in Celsius (104 degrees in Fahrenheit) of water (or other liquid on which the infusion is made), so as not to destroy the beneficial properties of the plant. For this reason, the infusions of Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) itself are prepared in a water bath or in a cold pouring method, and ready-made infusions are added to drinks, soups, sauces and similar dishes. For the preparation of meat or fish dishes, casseroles and various pastries with the participation of Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood), it is put into the dish as a spice at the end of its readiness, when the temperature of the dish begins to fall.

Infusions from Southernwood can be prepared both in water and in milk, for which the fresh green mass of the plant is crushed in a meat grinder and poured in a 1:2 ratio with liquid (1 part of the plant's raw materials and two parts of the liquid). Hot infusions (in a water bath) can be consumed as the infusion cools, cold infusions are kept for 8 hours, then the liquid (water or milk) is filtered and drunk a quarter cup a day.

You can grow such a useful medicinal and culinary plant both on a personal plot in the form of a tall bush (about 5 feet), and in the form of a pot or container culture. At home, the plant grows well and blooms, but does not bear fruit. This is a light-loving plant that requires sunny window sills and open sunny verandas for its full development. In a pot culture Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) grows in the form of a low bush (about 2 feet tall).

Artemisia Medicinal is not a useless plant even in cases of decorating the local area - it perfectly decorates a piece of land, has an exquisite aroma when flowering and is a convenient plant for pharmacy or vegetable beds. In outdoor culture, the plant can be grown as a perennial plant that needs pruning (as an ornamental shrub or shrub). Pruning stimulates the growth of young growth, which is a valuable medicinal and food product.

The plant Artemisia abrotanum (Southernwood) comes from the Mediterranean, but adapted in the process of distribution (it was artificially transported to the colder countries of North America, Russia, Eastern Europe) to winter and withstand a rather severe winter hut.

Today the plant is cultivated in all temperate countries and is used as a spicy and medicinal plant, both on an industrial scale and as a garden and ornamental crop for landscaping verandas, balconies and window sills.