History of Mugwort as a medicinal, but wild-growing weed in the United States:

If you're based in the United States, particularly the northeastern region of the States, you may have put two and two together that Mugwort grows as an invasive weed. Sometime in the 1600s, mugwort seeds made their way to the States from the global East. It was common for folks to take the medicinal and culinary seeds from their homelands with them, beause the food landscape was scarce and unknown.

But little did they know that Mugwort would do SO well in our ecosystem, that it would eventually become an invasive weed. Meaning that it often grows uncontrolled and outcompetes native plants.

This has earned Mugwort a bad reputation, and somewhat rightfully so. As invasive weeds, when unchecked, can harm native ecosystems.

However, due to its invasive and "weed-like" nature, many are unaware of the many verstaile uses of Mugwort.

That's what we're going to get into in this article. But before we get into the weeds (pun intended):

Mugwort has many edible, medicinal, and practical uses that make this plant so awesome, but due to the invasive nature of this plant, do not plant mugwort in your garden. In fact, it may be illegal to do so, depending on your local laws. Don't worry, Glam Gardener will teach you how to harvest wild-growing mugwort so that you can enjoy the medicinal, practical, and culinary uses of this plant.

What is Mugwort?

Mugwort has a rich history of use in herbal medicine, magic, and spiritual practices.

It's known for its calming properties, it’s often used to ease stress and help with sleep and dream enhancement. But this versatile herb doesn’t stop there—Mugwort has also been used to support digestive health, relieve menstrual cramps, and even provide protection in certain folk traditions.

Packed with antioxidants and compounds like thujone, mugwort has a reputation for promoting overall wellness.

Mugwort's Flavor Profile: Earthy, herbaceous, cleansing and bitter:

It's quite hard to describe the unique aromas and flavor profiles of wild plants. That's largely because we have grown accustomed to the few options presented to us in grocery stores. When you start to tune into the flavors and benefits that the wild-growing world has to offer, you realize how many flavors we miss out on by ignoring wild plants.

Mugwort's flavor may take some getting used to. I like to describe it as a cross between Bay leaf, Rosemary, and Lavender. But some associate the aroma of Mugwort with a cleaning solution. In my years as a foraging instructor, I found that the Mugwort dilemma is simlar to the Cilantro dilemma.

Some people love it and associate its aroma and flavor with a pleasant herb. Others find it unpleasant and associate it with a chlorine aroma.

Either way, to unlock the aroma of freshly harvested mugwort, take a cutting of its leaves and rub it in between your hands lightly to release the aromatic oils in Mugwort.

Mugwort's Applications: Eat, Sip, Smoke, and Salve

Unlike some medicinal plants that are best consumed through one of few methods, Mugwort has a wide variety of potential uses.

1. Enjoy mugwort as a culinary herb. Use it in place of Bay Leaf, Rosemary, or Basil when making a dish like a large pot of herbaceous soup.

2. Infuse mugwort into a tea made for relaxation, menstrual support, or sweet dreams. Mugwort has earned a reputation as a relaxing herb. Folks report sensations like ehanced vivid and lucid dreams after consuming Mugwort.

3. Combine Mugwort with other smokable plants for better flavor and its mystical properties. Glam Gardener crafts a smoke blend and herbal pre-rolls with Mugwort, and people report that they love its calming sensations and flavor profile.

4. Salve: Infuse mugwort into an herbal salve for its pleasant aroma, antibacterial, and antifungal properties.

5. Burning Mugwort as Incense or part of a spiritual practice: In addition to its pleasant aroma, some believe that Mugwort has spiritually protective properties, abilities to connect us with the dream world, and psychic properties.

How to properly Identify Mugwort when wild-harvesting It:

• Mugwort has flamed shaped leaves with mutiple pointy lobes. It sort of looks like a Cannabis leaf or a Parsely leaf.
• Mugwort leaves are green, but the backs of the leaves are a silvery-white color and look so mystical!
• Mugwort's size ranges depending on its age & stage in growth. During Spring in our region, Mugwort will present as tender leaves growing no more than 6 inches high. However by the end of Fall, Mugwort can appear to be growing as a bushy weed that towers over 5 feet tall. Its leaf shape will vary as it grows, but it will always have silvery undersides.
• Its aroma! Mugwort's aroma is so distinguishable, that it's actually one of the best idenification features of the plant. This is why its best to take a workshop by a foraging instructor to best get to know this plant. How about taking a workshop with Glam Gardener NYC? Check out our upcoming events & workshops!

Disclaimer: Never consume wild-growing plants unless you are 100% sure that you've correctly identified it using multiple guides and expert guidance. The list above is not comprehensive enough on its own for a surefire identification, but should be used alongside with other resources. It's best to be guided through plant identification in person by a teacher.

Keep Scrolling to Learn About How Glam Gardener Uses Mugwort in Our Products