What is the Difference Between Wormwood and Sweet Wormwood

The key difference between wormwood and sweet wormwood is that wormwood is a moderately poisonous species belonging to the genus Artemisia, which is native to Eurasia and Northern Africa, while sweet wormwood is a non-poisonous species belongs to genus Artemisia, which is native to temperate Asia.

Wormwood and sweet wormwood are two species in the genus of Artemisia. Artemisia is a large genus of plants with approximately 400 species. These species belong to the daisy family Asteraceae. The Artemisia species have common names such as mugwort, wormwood, sagewort (sweet wormwood), big sagebrush, southernwood, and tarragon. This genus comprises hardy herbaceous plants and shrubs. These species typically grow in temperate climates of both hemispheres. Most species in this genus have strong aromas tastes due to terpenoids and sesquiterpene lactone. This discourages herbivory and has some selective advantages to Artemisia species.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Wormwood 
3. What is Sweet Wormwood
4. Similarities – Wormwood and Sweet Wormwood
5. Wormwood vs Sweet Wormwood in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Wormwood vs Sweet Wormwood

What is Wormwood?

Wormwood is a moderately poisonous species that belongs to the genus Artemisia, which is native to Eurasia and Northern Africa. The scientific name of wormwood is Artemisia absinthium. This particular Artemisia species is widely naturalized in Canada and the northern United States. The plants of this species are usually grown as ornamental plants. Wormwood is also used as an ingredient in the spirit absinthe (alcoholic spirit) and some other alcoholic beverages.

Artemisia absinthium is typically a herbaceous perennial plant with fibrous roots. It usually grows on uncultivated arid ground, rocky slopes, at the edge of the footpaths or fields. These plants can easily be cultivated in dry soil. Wormwood herb contains bitter substances such as sesquiterpene lactones. Absinthin is a popular example of such sesquiterpene lactones. Wormwood also contains essential oils. These essential oils constitute thujone, isothujone, thujyl alcohol, chamazulene, and other mono sesquiterpenes. Moreover, wormwood is a well-known medicine for dyspepsia. This species is used to counteract poor appetite in various conditions such as infectious disease, Crohn’s disease, and IgA nephropathy.

What is Sweet Wormwood?

Sweet wormwood is a non-poisonous species of the genus Artemisia, which is native to temperate Asia. The scientific name of sweet wormwood is Artemisia annua. This species is also commonly known as sweet annie, sweet sagewort, annual mugwort, or annual wormwood. Sweet wormwood is naturalized in many countries, including the scattered parts of North America. Artemisia annua is an annual short-day plant. It usually prefers sunny and warm conditions. The optimal growth of sweet wormwood lies within 20 to 25⁰C. Moreover, Artemisia annua prefers light soils with deep topsoils and good drainage properties.

An extract of sweet wormwood called “artemisinin” is a well-known medication for malaria. Artemisinin was discovered by a Chinese scientist known as Tu Youyou. He won the Lasker prize in 2011 and the Nobel prize in 2015 in physiology and medicine for this discovery. Furthermore, in traditional Chinese medicine, sweet wormwood is prepared with hot water to treat fever.

What are the Similarities Between Wormwood and Sweet Wormwood?

• Wormwood and sweet wormwood are two species in the genus of Artemisia.
• Both species belong to the daisy family Asteraceae.
• Both species prefer warm climate conditions.
• The extracts of plants of these species can be used in medicine.

What is the Difference Between Wormwood and Sweet Wormwood?

Wormwood is a moderately poisonous species of the genus Artemisia which is native to Eurasia and Northern Africa, while sweet wormwood is a non-poisonous species of Artemisia which is native to temperate Asia. So, this is the key difference between wormwood and sweet wormwood. Furthermore, the scientific name of wormwood is Artemisia absinthium, whereas the scientific name of sweet wormwood is Artemisia annua.

The following figure presents the difference between wormwood and sweet wormwood in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Wormwood vs Sweet Wormwood

Artemisia is a large genus of plants. Wormwood and sweet wormwood are two species in this genus. Wormwood is a moderately poisonous species that is native to Eurasia and Northern Africa. Sweet wormwood is a non-poisonous species that is native to temperate Asia. Thus, this is the key difference between wormwood and sweet wormwood.

Reference:
1. “Artemisia Absinthium.” An Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.
2. “Artemisia Annua.” An Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Wormwood” By Swallowtail Garden Seeds (Public Domain) via Flickr
2. “Sweet worm wood (Artemisia annua) from lalbagh 2281” By Rameshng – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia