Artemisia annua

Seedlings and herb tea available at Ariti Herbal Shop

Artemisia annua L. (also known as sweet wormwood) is an aromatic annual herb traditionally grown in China as a medicinal plant for treating different types of ailments including malaria, stomach complaints, hemorrhoids etc. 

A. annua is relatively easy to grow on highlands, where the climate is temperate-like. A high biomass yields can be obtained in 5-6 month period. It has been successfully introduced in many African countries including Ethiopia.

This is how the leaves are used to cure malaria:  One liter of boiling water is poured to 5 g dried leaves, allow to brew for 10 to 15 minutes, and then poured through a sieve. This tea is then drunk by the malaria patient in four portions in the course of a day. The period of treatment is between 5 and 7 days. See www.annamed.org for more details.

Artemisia annua in Ariti Herbal Garden

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 Updated on November 20,2007