Artemisia absinthium Lambrook Silver

€6,90

Artemisia absinthium Lambrook Silver forms a highly aromatic, compact bush with elegant, finely divided, silver-colored, evergreen foliage.

The leaves are silver grey, covered in silky, white-silver hairs and numerous oil glands, which give the Artemisias their characteristic bitter-sweet fragrance.

They are particularly beautiful on this variety as they are grey-silver on the top and nearly entirely white on the bottom. And silky soft.

The flowers are also remarkable for an Artemisia - they are small, tubular, creamy-white and form into drooping flower heads.

💡 This variety is particularly ornamental - both in the garden, indoors and in a floral arrangement.

- When dried, wormwood repels insects, making it a practical addition to bouquets
- If the frost gets at the top leaves in the winter, don't worry! New buds from the lower stem will sprout again in spring.

NOTA BENE : Wormwood contains thujone, a neurotoxic compound that can be harmful in high doses. It can cause seizures, hallucinations, or nervous system issues if consumed excessively.

☀️ Ideal for rocky soil and full sun
💦 'Lambrook Silver' does require slightly more moisture than other Artemisia species
💐 Looks and gets along great with lavenders, sages, thymes, and rosemaries

€6,90

Flowering	July, August
Size	0.8m H x 0.8m W
Exposure	Full Sun
Frost Tolerance	-25°C to -30°C
Soil	Dry, Well-Draining
Planting Season	March to May, September to November

Gardening Tips:

The Botany:

Traditionally, Artemisia vulgaris was used as a remedy for a variety of complaints, especially those of a gynaecological nature - this ranges from menstrual cramps, to bleeding, to pre, during and post-pregnancy troubles.

For this reason, the wormwood genus bears the name of the Greek goddess of childbirth, Artemis. Who has always been my favorite goddess - I have had a statue of her since I can remember.

'Lambrook Silver' is a cultivar of Artemisia absinthium, which means that all of the essential oils in its foliage are the same as from the parent plant - so extractions and distillations can be done with this cultivar.

The Myths:

⚠️A Note of Warning: the oil content and chemical composition may differ slightly from the traditional wild wormwood used in absinthe and other herbal distillations so proceed with caution and common sense.

Absinthe:

Wormwood is a key ingredient in absinthe, a highly alcoholic spirit that was once believed to cause hallucinations. Therefore prohibited and punished, and now consequently the stuff of legend.

The hallucination culprit was thought to be Thujone, but modern research suggests its levels were too low to cause hallucinations. I have always wondered if it could it have been that their tolerance was lower? The green fairy myth persists to this day though Absinthe is sold in many countries, though the thujone levels are strictly monitored and regulated.

Vermouth & Bitters:

Wormwood also appears as a key component in herbal liqueurs as it gives it its distinctive bitter flavor
The word 'wormwood' seems to come from the Old English word wermod, but we are not sure what the initial word meant. We do know that the German cognate Wermut is the source of the term vermouth, used in French and English to describe a kind of wine that is traditionally flavoured with wormwood

According to Nicholas Culpeper, a 'stinking breath' can be cured by "drinking a glass of Wormwood beer every morning". So you can slide a glass over to that family member who is chronically stinking into the conversation.