Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) from Baldeneysee

Wormwood was one of the strongest bitter herbs used in monastic medicine. Its name comes from the Middle High German *wermuote*, meaning "good courage." Even in antiquity, it was considered a plant that "strengthens the stomach and clarifies the mind." The Benedictines of the Abbey Werden in the Ruhr valley near today Baldeneysee They adopted this knowledge and used wormwood particularly for digestive problems, weakness, and to cleanse the body. It's no wonder, then, that wormwood was referred to as the "king of bitter herbs" in monastic herbals – a testament to its powerful effects and its importance in medicine.

Wormwood prefers sunny, dry locations and thrives particularly well in poor soils. A typical characteristic of its cultivation is planting in dry herb beds, often alongside southernwood or horehound, which have similar soil requirements. Wormwood is distinguished by its robust, winter-hardy perennials that require little maintenance. Regular pruning keeps the plant compact. Wormwood has always been a reliable herb that provides a bountiful harvest.

Wormwood was one of the most important bitter herbs in the monastery. Typical uses included: wormwood tea to aid digestion, bitter tinctures made from wormwood to strengthen the body, wormwood wine as a classic tonic, and infusions for cleansing the skin. It was considered an herb that "cleanses the body and strengthens the spirits," and therefore wormwood was recommended for "melancholy." Since its scent repels pests, its aroma was invaluable for insect control.

In cooking, however, vermouth was used very sparingly. Its flavor is intense and bitter, and it was therefore considered an ingredient only for herbal wines, bitter liqueurs, and flavored oils. Vermouth was and still is appreciated as an aperitif and has been a traditional ingredient in haute cuisine in France for centuries. Noilly Prat, the famous French vermouth, gives its name to the sauce of the same name and is also an ingredient in Vermouth Sauce and Beurre Blanc. It lends a distinctive intensity of flavor to fine fish and seafood dishes such as Poissons à la crème, scallops with vermouth butter, or monkfish or sole in vermouth cream sauce.

Wormwood has a strong, aromatic fragrance. The Benedictines used it as incense, for insect repellent, and in scented pillows. Its aroma was considered purifying and protective. As a spiritual and symbolic plant, wormwood was associated with purification, clarity, and protection. It was considered an herb that "clarifies the path of the spirit." Wormwood was one of the most potent medicinal herbs in the monastery garden.

Wormwood can induce labor and is therefore not suitable for pregnant women. Never take wormwood long-term or in high doses: the component thujone can be neurotoxic in large quantities. Besides thujone, its constituents include bitter substances (absinthin), essential oils, flavonoids, and tannins. This combination makes wormwood so effective – but also potentially risky in cases of overdose. Wormwood is the main ingredient in the legendary and mythical absinthe – the "green gold." In artistic circles, absinthe inspired artists like Van Gogh in the 19th and 20th centuries – and ruined many of them.

Wormwood is one of Europe's most fascinating and historically significant medicinal plants – from monastic medicine and absinthe culture to modern phytotherapy. The plant is extremely bitter, aromatic, and steeped in myth. Today, wormwood is primarily known from herbal liqueurs. In naturopathy, it continues to be valued for its bitter compounds.