Chinese Herbs are Familiar Plants

sideish view of peonyMany 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

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: