- Type
- Herbs & Aromatics
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Season
- Summer
- Sowing
- Transplant
Injin mugwort
Artemisia gmelinii
Essential oils and coumarin-type compounds · a mugwort whose stems overwinter
Injin mugwort is one of the daisy-family mugworts, sold widely in herbal markets under the name injin-ssuk. Its leaves dry off in autumn but the stems survive winter and shoot again from the old crown, which sets it apart from the other mugworts. Cutting the stems and leaves, drying them and simmering them as a tea is a long-standing use. Two species travel under the market name injin-ssuk, this one and Artemisia capillaris, so it is worth checking the label on what you buy. The Donguibogam lists injinho in its Herb section and records the Korean name as deowijigi. It gives a slightly cold nature, noting that some call it cool, a bitter and pungent taste, and no toxicity, while also recording a claim that it is slightly toxic. It resembles mugwort but with denser, finer leaves and neither flower nor fruit, the entry says; after autumn the leaves wither while the stems live through the winter and grow again from the old shoots, and it is from this that the name injinho comes. Stems and leaves are cut in the fifth and seventh lunar months and dried in the shade, kept away from fire.
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Where It Grows
- Main producer The largest volume in trade. Note, however, that what China uses as injinho (yinchenhao) is sacheolssuk (Artemisia capillaris), a different species from deowijigi (A. gmelinii).
- Wild population It grows wild across the whole country on sunny hillsides and river gravel beds, and is also cultivated in the mountain districts of Gangwon and North Gyeongsang.
- Wild population Widespread on dry grassland and gravelly slopes.
- Wild population Distributed across southern Siberia and the Far East.
It is a plant of the dry continental temperate belt, running from southern Siberia through Mongolia, northern China, Korea and Japan. Which species the name Injin mugwort refers to varies by country: Korea uses deowijigi (A. gmelinii), while in China the name most often means sacheolssuk (A. capillaris), so the species has to be specified when both are shaded on a single map.
- Optimum
- 15~25℃
- Range
- 5~32℃
- Hardiness
- Hardy
It grows on dry hillsides and river gravel beds that catch sun all day. In rich, damp soil the plant runs to leaf and the scent thins. The leaves wither in autumn, but it is a subshrub whose lower stems come through the winter, so it sends up new growth from the old crown the following year.
Harvested 1–2 years after planting. Seedlings planted in spring give a light cutting from that first summer; the stems overwinter and new shoots rise from the old crown the next year, and from then on it is cut in earnest.
In Korea Nationwide
It grows throughout the country wherever a hillside is sunny and dry. Cut it in June–July, before the flower stalks rise, leaving the base of the plant standing.
How to grow
- Light
- Full sun all day. In shade the stems come thin and the aroma weak
- Soil and depth
- Lean, free-draining ground. Rich soil gives leafy growth and a poorer scent
- Spacing
- 40 to 50cm between plants. The crown thickens year on year and grows as a subshrub
- Watering
- Barely any once established. Too much water damages the roots and thins the aroma
- Feeding
- No feeding. Plants grown on lean ground carry the stronger scent
- Harvest
- June and July, cut a hand's width above the base before the flower stalks stand. The original records cutting in the fifth and seventh lunar months
What makes the difference. Bundle the cut stems and hang them upside down in the shade. Keep them away from fire, as the Donguibogam records and as is still done. Once bone dry, seal them and keep them cool
Why this one is harder. As a subshrub whose stems overwinter, it needs a decided cutting height each year. Cut everything away in winter and the following spring is late; leave it alone and the base turns woody and the aroma falls off
Common problems
- Aphids You will see Colonies on shoot tips, turning sticky What to do Wash them off with water. Do not spray a plant that will be cut and simmered as a drink
- Powdery mildew You will see White dust on the leaves at the end of the rainy season What to do Widen the spacing and thin the lower branches for airflow. Cut out affected branches and do not harvest that plant
- Waterlogging You will see After the rainy season the lower stems blacken, soften and fall What to do Raise the bed and avoid spots where water sits. Cut softened stems back to the base
This page describes how a crop is grown and used. It does not claim health effects for any food, nor is it intended to prevent or treat disease. Component and study notes are references only and do not mean the same result occurs in people. Consult a medical professional about health concerns.
Health Benefits
The old record — injinho (茵蔯蒿). The Donguibogam lists it in the Herb section as injinho and records the Korean name as deowijigi. The nature is given as slightly cold, with a note that some call it cool, and the taste as bitter and pungent with no toxicity, alongside a further claim that it is slightly toxic. It is found everywhere, the entry says, resembling mugwort but with denser, finer leaves and neither flower nor fruit. After autumn the leaves wither while the stems live through winter and grow again from the old shoots, and the text derives the name injinho from exactly that. Stems and leaves are cut in the fifth and seventh lunar months and dried in the shade away from fire, and the soil and root are removed and the material finely chopped before use. What an old medical text wrote differs from how it is judged today.
Coumarin-type compounds in the mugwort group. Analyses report the isolation of coumarin-type compounds such as scoparone from Artemisia capillaris, which is traded under the name injinho. These are compositional analyses and have no bearing on disease.
A name that splits two ways. Korean herbal-trade records show two species, Artemisia gmelinii and Artemisia capillaris, circulating together under the name injin-ssuk, and the scientific names themselves are written differently across sources. This concerns how the name is used, not any ranking of the plants.
Nutrition
- Essential oils (in the cut and dried stems and leaves) — the compound group behind the mugwort aroma
- Coumarin-type compounds (scoparone reported from Artemisia capillaris, sold under the same market name) — compounds isolated from the mugwort group
- Flavonoids (leaves and stems) — a compound group involved in both bitterness and colour
The aroma of the mugworts In the mugwort group the scent of dried leaf and stem comes from essential oils. With injin mugwort that aroma arrives first in the pot and the bitterness follows. Long boiling drives the aroma off and leaves the bitterness behind, so keep the simmer short.
Coumarin-type compounds Analyses report the isolation of scoparone, a coumarin-type compound, from Artemisia capillaris, which is sold under the same market name. The same literature shows how the two species have long been handled under one name. This entry stays with the compositional record.
Bitterness and how much is drunk Brewed strong, the bitterness climbs steeply. Avoid drinking it all day in place of water; a weak brew and a cup or two a day is the better shape. Burying the bitterness under sugar mostly means drinking more of it.
Dried in the shade The original says to keep it away from fire, and shade-drying is still the practice. Sun bleaches the leaf, and hard heat drives off the aromatics. Once bone dry, seal it and keep it cool; do not use stock that has gone damp.
Pairings
○ A weak decoction — Simmer a pinch of the dried stem and leaf in a litre of water for about five minutes, then strain. The longer it boils, the sharper the bitterness. Cool it, refrigerate, and drink it within two days.
○ A few jujubes — Because the bitterness is strong, simmering it with a few jujubes is a long-standing practice. A little sweetness makes it easier to drink. Pit the jujubes before adding them. Jujube
○ Brewed with roasted barley — Simmered together with roasted barley, the toasted grain comes forward and the mugwort bitterness falls back. It suits anyone drinking it for the first time. Be generous with the barley and sparing with the herb. Barley
△ Daisy-family allergy — Mugwort belongs to the daisy family, and people allergic to mugwort or ragweed pollen sometimes react to plants in that family. On a first try, brew it very weak and take one mouthful; if the mouth swells or hives appear, stop at once and seek medical care. Do not offer it to a child first.
△ Strong brews over long periods, and pregnancy — Avoid drinking a strong mugwort decoction in place of water over long stretches. There is no established figure for how much, for how long. During pregnancy or breastfeeding, or while taking prescribed medicine, do not start it on your own judgement — tell your clinician first.
△ Wild-picked mugwort — buy it labelled — The mugworts run to many species that look alike when young, so what you pick in the hills cannot confidently be called injin-ssuk. Even in herbal markets two species travel under that one name, so buy material labelled with its species and origin. The daisy family also holds plants with reported toxicity; if you cannot confirm the name, do not pick. Mugwort
Varieties
- Deowijigi (han-injin) (seedling) — The subshrub whose stems overwinter. This is the plant the Donguibogam names under 茵蔯蒿
- Sacheol-ssuk (Artemisia capillaris) (seedling) — A different species sold under the same name, injinho. Thread-fine leaves
- Ssuk (Artemisia princeps) (seedling) — The everyday mugwort of rice cakes and soups. White-backed leaves, and a different use altogether
Source: Donguibogam, Herb Section 茵蔯蒿 · Rural Development Administration (Nongsaro)