Mugwort vs Wormwood: Why We Use Artemisia Argyi

Let's clear up the biggest mix-up first! Mugwort and wormwood are not the same plant. They are close relatives in the Artemisia genus, which is why they look alike, smell a little alike and get swapped constantly online.

Common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is one of the most widely used Artemisia species in traditional medicine (Molecules, 2022). It has dark green leaves that are smooth on top and so hairy underneath that they look white and woolly, with a sage-like smell, according to the Ohio State University weed guide. Its name likely comes from its old use in flavoring beer.

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) wears soft gray foliage and has a very bitter taste. NC State Extension describes it as the herb used to flavor the drink absinthe, and it is still grown as an ornamental in gardens.

Then there is Artemisia argyi, often called Chinese mugwort, the species on our Drink label. It belongs on the mugwort side of the family tree, and it is the one this whole comparison is really about.

• Artemisia vulgaris: common mugwort, sage-like aroma, woolly white leaf undersides.
• Artemisia absinthium: wormwood, gray foliage, intensely bitter, absinthe's signature herb.
• Artemisia argyi: an East Asian mugwort with a long history in food and herbal use.
• All three are Artemisia, so none of them should be foraged and eaten on a guess.

How the two mugworts and wormwood compare on the details that actually matter for a daily drink.

Sources: Ohio State University, NC State Extension, 21 CFR 172.510, and the European Medicines Agency monograph on Artemisia absinthium. Thujone levels vary by species, plant part and preparation.

Thujone is the reason wormwood has a reputation. It is a natural compound found in wormwood's essential oil, and a detailed review of absinthe in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition calls it a toxic monoterpene. That same review walks through the famous nineteenth-century "absinthism" story, which researchers now largely connect to heavy alcohol use rather than wormwood alone.

Regulators still take thujone seriously. Under FDA's rule at 21 CFR 172.510, Artemisia used as a natural flavoring is allowed only if the finished food is thujone-free. For absinthe, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau treats a product as thujone-free when it contains less than 10 parts per million.

Here is the part most comparison pages skip: mugwort is not automatically thujone-free either. Researchers have measured alpha-thujone in the volatiles of Korean mugwort (Phytochemical Analysis, 2021), and levels vary by species, plant part and how the plant is processed. So the honest line is not "mugwort good, wormwood bad." Wormwood is the species built around thujone, and mugworts are the ones with a long record of everyday use.

Wormwood and the mugworts have very different day jobs, and seeing them side by side explains a lot about why brands pick one over the other.

Wormwood: a bitter with limits

Wormwood is not only an absinthe story. The EU herbal monograph recognizes it as a traditional herbal medicinal product for temporary loss of appetite and mild digestive complaints, based entirely on long-standing use. The same monograph sets clear guardrails: it is not recommended for anyone under 18, not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and anyone whose symptoms last more than two weeks should see a doctor. In the garden, it is grown for its soft, silvery foliage.

Mugwort: food, festivals and moxa

The mugworts show up in far more everyday places. Artemisia argyi has been used in medicine, food, bathing, moxibustion and fumigation for more than two thousand years, and it has even become a cultural symbol of the Dragon Boat Festival, according to the 2021 Journal of Ethnopharmacology review. Dried Korean mugwort is also the classic moxa used in moxibustion. Common mugwort, for its part, is better known in North America as a stubborn weed that spreads by underground rhizomes, according to Ohio State.

Long story short: wormwood is a bitter, regulated around one compound, while mugwort is a pantry and tradition plant. That difference in track record is a big part of why a daily, drinkable formula leans on Artemisia argyi.

We scored each plant out of 10 on three things, and the total is the plain average. Artemisia argyi: tradition 9, safety and regulatory status 7, fit for a daily drink 9, for 8.3. Common mugwort: tradition 8, safety and regulatory status 6, fit for a daily drink 6, for 6.7. Wormwood: tradition 6, safety and regulatory status 3, fit for a daily drink 2, for 3.7. Common mugwort has a long traditional food and herbal history of its own; Artemisia argyi pulls ahead on safety and on fitting a Korean Hanyak formula, and no Artemisia gets a perfect safety score.

"Thujone is reported to be neurotoxic and chemotypes with low content of thujone should be preferred."

European Medicines Agency, EU herbal monograph on Artemisia absinthium

Our blend comes from Hanyak, traditional Korean herbal medicine, and Artemisia argyi fits right in. Researchers at a Korean medicine school note that the leaves of Artemisia argyi and its close cousin Artemisia princeps are well-known medicinal herbs in China, Japan and Korea (Mediators of Inflammation, 2016). Korean mugwort is also a familiar food ingredient, valued in both traditional practice and the food industry (Phytochemical Analysis, 2021).

Here is where the evidence stands. A 2024 review of Artemisia argyi leaf catalogued 136 compounds and a long list of lab and animal findings, and it concluded that quality standards and human pharmacokinetics still need proper work. Research is ongoing, and nothing here promises a specific result.

In The Plug Drink, Artemisia argyi leaf is one of 13 Korean botanicals in The Plug Blend (10.83g), alongside kudzu root, Hovenia dulcis and schisandra, at 15 calories with no added sugar and no caffeine. It is there as part of a traditional formula, not as a stand-alone treatment for anything.

About thujone and our Drink: 21 CFR 172.510 governs Artemisia used as a flavoring, and it requires the finished food to be thujone-free. In The Plug Drink, Artemisia argyi leaf is one of 13 botanicals in a 100 ml serving, and we do not make thujone-free claims about it. If you are pregnant, nursing or trying to conceive, talk to your doctor before trying it.

Before you try any Artemisia

1. If you are pregnant, nursing or trying to conceive, talk to your doctor first. NCCIH notes that many supplements have not been tested in pregnancy, and the EU monograph advises against wormwood during pregnancy and lactation.
2. If you react to mugwort or ragweed pollen, be cautious with Artemisia foods and drinks. Mugwort pollen is a recognized allergen linked to food reactions such as mugwort-celery-spice syndrome (Allergy, 2025).
3. Do not forage and brew your own. Mugwort has several look-alikes, and Ohio State notes it can cause dermatitis from skin contact or from drinking tea made from the weed.
4. Tell your healthcare professional about every herbal product you take, especially if you take prescription medication.