Late winter brings more light hours and new growth in my Artemisia plants. Top left: Wormwood, A. absynthium Top right: Mugwort, A. vulgaris (from German seeds) Bottom left: Mugwort, A. vulgaris (adopted from a wild plant near my house) Bottom right: Southernwood, A. abrotanum
The victor of the chariot races of the festival of Latinae was given a decoction of wormwood to drink, Pliny records, since he was a person worth keeping alive. Hildegard named it the ‘principal remedy for all ailments’. Yet this is no sweet-smelling rose, but a herb of pungency and
New growth in Artemisia absynthium, frozen in time until spring, frosted in a winter morning.