Mugwort
Artemisia vulgaris · also: mugwort, armoise
ripe nowHerbs & tea🗓 Summer to early fall📍 1 on map (0 confirmed)
How to ID it
- Tall roadside and wasteland weed, often chest-high
- Deeply lobed leaves: green above, silvery-white and woolly beneath
- Grooved, often reddish stems
- Sage-like aroma when leaves are crushed
Safety
- Safe as a culinary herb in small amounts — it contains thujone, so use it sparingly as a seasoning or tea. Avoid in pregnancy.
- A common pollen allergen: people sensitive to ragweed or other Asteraceae may react. Harvest away from roadside verges where it accumulates traffic pollution.
Harvest
Mugwort lines railway edges, alleys, and vacant lots across Montréal, often growing waist- to chest-high by late summer. Pick young leafy tops before the plant flowers, when the flavour is cleanest. Flip a leaf to confirm the silvery-white woolly underside against the green top — the plant’s signature.
Prep
A bitter aromatic — treat it like a strong herb, not a green. A few chopped leaves season fatty meats, poultry, and rich stews (its traditional role), cutting the grease. It also makes a bitter tea. Dry sprigs for winter; the flavour concentrates, so use even less.
Notes
Because mugwort contains thujone, keep it to small culinary quantities and avoid it entirely during pregnancy. Its late-summer pollen is a well-known allergen, so sensitive foragers should handle flowering plants with care. Silvery leaf underside plus sage-like scent make it easy to recognise once you know it.
Guides & links
Updated 2026-08-09