Artemisia abrotanum Southernwood (Lad's Love, Old Man, Crusader's Herb) |
Like all the artemisias, southernwood
(artemisia abrotanum) was named after the Greek goddess Artemis, who had
special care of women. It was used medicinally as an infusion or tincture
to regulate menstruation, and also as an antiseptic, insect repellent and
air freshener. It was used by the Crusaders to ward off plague.
Southernwood is used as a hair-wash, and even as an aphrodisiac. The stems yield a yellow dye. Southernwood prefers to be grown in a sunny position, in well-drained soil. It can be propagated from soft cuttings in summer, or from semi-ripe cuttings with a "heel" in autumn. New growth of shrubs should be cut back by half in spring, and buds removed to prevent flowering. It makes an ideal low hedge if trimmed in spring and again in summer. In earlier times, it was the custom to spread freshly washed clothes on such hedges to absorb a little of their fragrance while they dried. |