Davana Essential Oil

Genus Artemisia (Asteraceae) popularly known as “Sage Brush” or “Worm wood” is bitter aromatics. Artemisia is the largest genus comprising of 400 species widely distributed in South Africa and South America, and 34 species are found in India. This genus is named in honor of Artemis the Greek goddess of chastity. Some of them are sources of volatile oils. Sesquiterpene lactones are known to be present in almost all species.

It is commercially cultivated for its fragrant leaves and flowers. It grows from seeds and cuttings and reaches maturity in four months. The plant is woody in the lower part of the stem, but with yearly branches. Davana is mostly cultivated in the red soil regions in South India. It comes up very well in rich loamy soils. Davana is an annual herb, family compositor, requiring about four months to reach maturity, at which it attains a height of about around one and half feet. Season is very important when the crop is grown for production of oil.