Pujo is a problem for people with allergies: See instructions for disposal

Pujo blooms from July to the end of August. Eradicating pujo is an almost impossible task, but it can be done locally.

Pujo is one of the worst causes of pollen allergy. The flowers of the plant produce a lot of pollen, which spreads with the wind over large areas.

In Finland, pujo grows abundantly up to about the height of Oulu, but further north it is a rarer sight.

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You can recognize pujo by these signs

Rikkapujo, or more familiarly just pujo (Artemisia vulgaris) belongs to the maroon family. It is a large herbaceous plant and can grow up to one and a half meters high.

Pujo’s leaves are shiny dark green on top. On the underside, the leaves are noticeably paler due to its light pubescence.

The lower part of the stem is woody and reddish in color throughout.

When does the cottonwood bloom?

Pujo blooms in July–August. The flowers are small red-brown spikes.

One large plant may have 6,000 myceliums, with a total of up to 50,000 flowers.

Meripujo is equally allergenic

In Finland, a rarer variant of the maruna, the meripujo, grows as a native plant, which can only be found on the shores of the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia.

Its leaves are slightly narrower than the weed, and it is also more slender.

The flowering of sea buckthorn starts a few weeks later than that of weed, and it is an equally allergenic plant.

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Eradication of pujo is difficult

In your yard, it would be good to get rid of the gorse before it blooms.

The best way to get rid of a tree is to tear it out of the ground. Pujo is woody at the base and has extensive roots, so removing it completely can be a lot of work.

Another good way to prevent the flowering of the plant and with it the spread of pollen is to cut the plant with garden shears across the stem, just above the ground.

The measures will probably have to be repeated annually due to the plant’s tenacity.

Getting rid of allergy symptoms doesn’t necessarily help, because the pollen of the pujo is carried by the wind up to kilometers away.

The plant has been used as a herb and as a spice

Pujo is not a poisonous plant.

The Latin surname Artemisia comes from the ancient Greek goddess Artemis, who was the patroness of childbirth. The goddess was also considered a promoter of new life for the human and animal world.

In addition to the treatment of menstrual pain and menopause, Pujo has been used in folk medicine for many other ailments.

Pujo has also been used a lot as a spice. It has a strong nutty aroma and herbal taste, so it can be used in moderate doses to season meat dishes and wine, for example.

Expert on the subject Museum Master of the University of Oulu Plant Museum Ari-Pekka Huhta.