Zone: Inner Garden (The Kitchen Pharmacy)

Season of Interest: Summer (Foliage)

The Doctor’s Notes (Medicinal Use)

Dr. Woodward would have utilized Wormwood primarily for its "bitter tonic" qualities, which were thought to stimulate the entire digestive system:

• Digestive Stimulant: It was a standard 19th-century treatment for indigestion, loss of appetite, and "weak stomach." The extreme bitterness was believed to "awaken" the digestive juices.

• The "Worm" Remedy: As the name suggests, it was most famous for its ability to expel intestinal parasites (worms). It was often administered as a very bitter tea or a powdered dose.

• Fever and Liver: It was occasionally used to treat intermittent fevers and as a tonic to support liver and gallbladder function.

The Household Assistant (Homestead Use)

For the Woodward family, Wormwood was just as useful outside the medicine chest as a natural protector:

• Pest Repellent: The dried leaves were often placed in linen closets and wardrobes to keep moths and other insects away from the family’s wool clothing.

• Poultry Protection: In 19th-century New England, many farmers would hang bunches of Wormwood in the chicken coop to help deter lice and mites.

• The "Absinthe" Ingredient: While the Woodward household likely focused on its practical uses, this is the primary botanical used to create the famous (and once controversial) spirit, Absinthe.

Botanist’s Corner

• Form: A shrub-like perennial with a woody base, growing 2 to 3 feet tall with a spreading, mounding habit.

• Foliage: Features beautiful silvery-grey, feathery leaves covered in fine, silky hairs. The texture is soft to the touch, but the scent is pungent and medicinal when crushed.

• Flowers: Produces small, nodding, pale yellow flower heads in late summer, though it is primarily grown for its striking foliage.