DIY Herbs: Sweet Annie

Join legendary, famed ethnobotanist and author James A. Duke, PhD (1929-2017) to learn about using the traditional Chinese herb sweet Annie (Artemisia annua L.) as a treatment for malaria--and also as a great addition to a gin & tonic! Most of the world’s commercial supply of sweet Annie comes from plantations in China and Vietnam. Cultivation efforts are currently underway in Africa in order to supply the raw material and eventually the value-added artemisinin and derivatives for the large-scale malaria epidemics on that continent.

Duke, a poet and an avid and one-time professional musician, who was a co-founder of the American Botanical Council, had a distinguished career in economic botany, including more than 35 years at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and traveled extensively to the Amazon, Panama, Puerto Rico, China, and many other places to study indigenous plant use. During his tenure at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, he created and maintained “Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases,” a vital research tool for botanists and chemists. He also authored or co-authored dozens of books that aimed to introduce both academic and consumer audiences to herbal medicine practices and traditional remedies.

The information contained in this video is for general educational purposes only and is not intended for use as or to substitute for medical advice. The views and opinions expressed by those in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the American Botanical Council (ABC). The nonprofit ABC does not endorse, recommend, or test any commercial consumer products nor their ingredients. Botanicals and other ingredients and products sold as dietary supplements in the U.S. are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.