Many Chinese herbs are common plants that are familiar to us all.
I was updating my cheat sheet of herbal formulas, and realized you all might find it interesting, so I’m posting a bit about Chinese herbs today!
When you study acupuncture in the US, you learn the herbs by their Chinese names, which made it an effort for me to connect Chinese herb names to the common English and Latin names in my head.
I love my list of Chinese herb names with their corresponding common English names and thought I’d post it here for you all just because it’s kind of fun and interesting. While the Chinese names for the herbs and formulas can make them seem foreign and confusing, the most common Chinese herbs are plants we’re all familiar with. Bo He, Gan Cao and Gui Zhi – mint, licorice and cinnamon – are found in many Chinese herbal medicine products, and I like telling people that their herb pills contain frankincense and myrrh, which we’ve all heard of.
Chinese Herbs and Their Common English Names
Ai Ye – mugwort
Ba Ji Tian – hyacinth bean
Bai Guo Ye – gingko leaf
Bai He – lily bulb
Bai Jie Zi – white mustard seed
Bai Shao – peony
Bai Tou Weng – anemone, pulsatilla
Bai Zhi – angelica root
Bai Zhu – atractylodes rhizome
Bai Zi Ren – biota seed
Ban Lan Gen – isatis root
Ban Xia – pinellia rhizome
Bi Ba – long pepper fruit
Bo He – field mint
Chai Hu – bupleurum
Chan Tui – cicada shell
Chen Pi – tangerine peel
Chi Shao – red peony
Chuan Bei Mu – Fritillaria
Chuan Xin Lian – andrographis
Chuan Xiong – Schezuan lovage root
Da Fu Pi – betel husk
Da Huang – rhubarb root
Da Qing Ye – isatis leaf
Da Zao – date
Dan Dou Chi – prepared soybean
Dan Shen – salvia
Dang Gui Pian – angelica root
Dang Shen – codonopsis root
Di Gu Pi – lycium bark
Di Yu – bloodroot
Ding Xiang – cordyceps
Du Huo – angelica root
Fu Ling – poria
Fu Pen Zi – raspberry
Fu Xiao Mai – wheat
Gan Cao – licorice
Gan Jiang – ginger
Gao Ben – Chinese lovage root
Ge Gen – kudzu root
Gou Qi Zi – wolfberry
Gui Zhi – cinnamon
Hong Hua – safflower
Hou Po – magnolia
Hu Lu Ba – fenugreek seed
Hu Po – amber
Hua Shi – talcum
Huang Qi – astragalus
Jiang Huang – tumeric rhizome
Jin Yin Hua – honeysuckle
Ju Hua – chrysanthemum
Lai Fu Zi – radish seed
Lian Qiao – forsythia
Lian Zi – lotus seed
Ling Zhi – reishi mushroom
Mei Gui Hu – rosebud
Mo Yao – myrrh
Mu Gua – quince
Mu Li – oyster shell
Pi Pa Ye – loquat leaf
Pu Gong Ying – dandelion
Qing Pi – tangerine peel
Ren Shen – ginseng
Rou Dou Kou – nutmeg
Rou Gui – cinnamon
Ru Xiang – frankincense
Sang Bai Pi – mulberry
Sang Ji Sheng – mistletoe
Sang Ye – mulberry leaf
Sha Ren – cardamon
Shan Zhu Yu – cherry
Sheng Di Huang – rehmannia
Shi Jue Ming – abalone shell
Tao Ren – peach kernel
Tian Men Dong – asparagus tuber
Wu Wei Zi – schizandra
Xi Yang Shen – American ginseng
Xin Yi Hua – magnolia bud
Xing Ren – apricot kernal
Yi Zhi Ren – cardamon seed
Zhi Zi – gardenia
Zhu Ru – bamboo
Zi Hua Di Ding – violet