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Wormwood

Q: Is Wormwood natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Steam distillation of aerial parts. Oil is blue-green from chamazulene content..

GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / woody · green · aromatic

Wormwood

Category	GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory	woody · green · aromatic
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	Artemisia absinthium
Appearance	pale yellow to greenish yellow clear liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	France, Morocco, Spain, United States
Pyramid	Heart

Bitter, green, herbal-camphoraceous. Artemisia absinthium: the plant behind absinthe. A sharp bitterness with thujone's medicinal edge.

Scent
Terroir & Origins
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Bitter, dry, herbal-camphoraceous. Sharply green with medicinal thujone edge. Less sweet than tarragon, more bitter than sage. Like crushing dried herbs in a cold apothecary.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Sharp bitter-green burst, camphoraceous

After a few hours

Herbal bitterness softens, dry warmth

After a few days

Faint bitter-herbal trace, lingering

Terroir & Transformation

Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.

The Full Story

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a bitter herb whose essential oil contains thujone (alpha and beta forms), chamazulene, and sesquiterpene lactones.

The smell is aggressively herbaceous: dry, bitter, green, with camphor quality from thujone and faint blue chamomile undertone from chamazulene.

In perfumery, wormwood oil functions as a top-to-heart modifier adding bitter-green complexity. Small doses add complexity; larger doses read as pharmacy.

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Related: Acronychia Pedunculata · Adoxal · Agave · Algae · Aloe Vera · Amyris · Aromatic Notes · Asparagus

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Thujone was long blamed for absinthe's hallucinogenic effects, but modern analysis shows historical absinthe contained far too little thujone to cause neurological effects. The real culprit was high alcohol content (55-72%).

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Steam distillation of aerial parts. Oil is blue-green from chamazulene content.

↑ See Terroir & Origins for origin-specific methods.

Molecular Formula	Thujone C₁₀H₁₆O (major component, up to 35%) · Chamazulene C₁₄H₁₆
CAS Number	8008-93-3
Botanical Name	Artemisia absinthium
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	absinthium, grande absinthe, wormwood oil
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Lasting Power	212 hours at 100.00%
Appearance	pale yellow to greenish yellow clear liquid
Refractive Index	1.470–1.510

In Perfumery

Top-to-heart bitter-green modifier. Contains thujone, chamazulene, sesquiterpene lactones. Suited to absinthe-themed, herbal-aromatic, and apothecary compositions. Pairs with anise, fennel, dry woods.