Artemisia annua comparison: The wild form (A-2) and our breeding (A-3)

As early as 1986, members of the "anamed" association considered propagating annual mugwort. Even then, they recognized the tremendous potential of this unique plant and saw it as their mission to make this inexpensive plant accessible to more people .

The ambitious club members quickly realized, however, that their project faced a crucial challenge: There is no defined, uniform species of Artemisia annua . Instead, the plant consists of countless subspecies that vary greatly from country to country. The numerous wild forms vary in the composition and content of their more than 600 ingredients, and drying is also handled differently depending on the region and tradition. In addition, the use of the plant parts is not consistent: While in some countries the leaves, stems and flowers are used, in other regions the leaves are used with or without stems, or leaves with or without flowers, sometimes ground, sometimes not - but all products are labeled “ Artemisia annua ” and sold as such.

To solve these problems, anamed began collaborating with scientists from various countries in 1996 to offer a uniform, reliable Artemisia annua product . They researched and created a new subspecies, which they named Artemisia annua anamed (A-3) , and soon made it available to everyone worldwide.

Today, the A-3 strain is used for studies by leading researchers such as Prof. Pamela Weathers and is recommended with a clear conscience by recognized experts such as Prof. Dr. Max Moser and Dr. Sarah Moritz.

The wild forms of Artemisia annua have several disadvantages. First, they usually only reach a height of 50-100 centimeters and produce a low yield of leaves , which also contain uneven amounts of nutrients . The artemisinin content is also relatively low, fluctuating between 0.05 and 0.4% . In addition, Artemisia annua is an allergenic early bloomer , which can pose challenges in the form of respiratory problems, especially for allergy sufferers who want to cultivate the plant in their own garden or allow it to grow wild.

The advantages of our special A-3 variety are numerous. Perhaps most important is its remarkable artemisinin content , which is a whopping 1.4% —roughly 20 times that of many wild varieties. Not only is its artemisinin content significantly increased, but its height can also reach a remarkable 3 meters , and it boasts a high yield of its valuable leaves . Furthermore, Artemisia annua anamed is a very allergy-friendly variety because, if properly cultivated, it doesn't begin flowering until late autumn or winter in Europe and is then harvested as soon as buds appear.

At this point we would like to emphasize that our unique special breed, Artemisia annua anamed, is a completely pure, natural plant form , which is based exclusively on traditional plant breeding - without any genetic modifications.

An important indicator of impeccable Artemisia annua quality is a vibrant, bright green color . Brown/yellow discoloration of the leaves, or even a mild green color, indicates a deficiency in the corresponding leaves. Only under optimal light and water conditions do the leaves achieve their vibrant green color and full nutritional content. Therefore, yellow and brown leaves should be removed after harvesting to prevent them from ending up in the final product. Dirt can also cause the Artemisia annua product to lose its intense color. However, dirt is almost unavoidable with a mechanical harvesting process. At teemana, however, we have always relied on manual harvesting.

Also pay attention to the scent emitted by the dried Artemisia annua leaves. An aromatic fragrance is characteristic of high-quality products, while a mild or completely absent scent indicates insufficient quality.

Another important sign of high-quality Artemisia annua is a pure leaf cut or powder without stems, flowers, or other plant parts. Unfortunately, many commercially available products contain a lot of stems and branches in addition to the leaves – in the case of standard herbal products, this often amounts to up to 80%. It's important to note that only the leaves of the Artemisia annua plant are labeled as having a high content of active ingredients , while the stems contain little to no active ingredients.

In addition to the visual characteristics, you should also ensure that your Artemisia products are grown locally. Quality standards vary greatly from country to country , and in many countries, Artemisia plants are cultivated using harmful pesticides and fertilizers. In dictatorial countries, farmers are sometimes even prohibited from having their soil tested for contaminants before growing Artemisia. Contaminated soil, however, leads to a contaminated product. However, our Artemisia annua anamed can be recommended without hesitation, as it is regularly microbiologically tested by an independent German testing laboratory and checked for quality, contaminants, and heavy metals before being released.

Ensuring Artemisia annua products meet high quality standards requires a great deal of effort. To meet these requirements, processes such as sowing, caring for, and harvesting the plants must be carried out by hand . Even the gentle drying and sorting of unwanted stems and leaves are largely done manually and consume a great deal of energy and time . Therefore, it's hardly surprising that the price of high-quality products is adjusted accordingly, and comparatively inexpensive products cannot possibly meet the same quality standards.

For example, a field worker in Germany earns about 100 times as much as a picker in Northeast India. For the price we pay our German farmers for 1 kilo of A-3 produce, we would get 150 kilos of (brown) A-2 (wild) produce from Asia.

If you extrapolate these facts, the higher-quality offer is definitely worth it:

Since the research and dissemination of Artemisia annua anamed (A-3) in the 1990s, this unique variety has enjoyed widespread popularity. Not for nothing, as it is a species with countless benefits and a consistent, reliable artemisinin content.

When we refer to our product as "the original," we're referring to the fact that it has proven itself on the market for years and enjoys a high level of recognition and attention. While many wild forms of Artemisia annua have certainly been cultivated and used for over 2,000 years, our exquisite breeding has marked a major breakthrough that promises everyone a uniform, consistent quality of Artemisia annua products .