Safflower flowers - 红花 (Hong Hua)
Safflower Flower
红花
Hong Hua·Fleurs de Carthame
Carthami Flos
- Traced and verified origin
- Dispatched within 24/48h, packed to order
- Kept away from light and moisture
According to the classical texts
活血通经 散瘀止痛
Pinyin
Huo Xue Tong Jing · San Yu Zhi Tong
Overview
The orange-red petals of Carthamus tinctorius, safflower, grown for its red dye since antiquity (used to colour the silks of the nobility and as lip rouge in imperial China).
In the pharmacopoeia, the flowers alone are used (not the seeds, which have other uses).
Harvested at full bloom, dried in the shade, they keep their intense orange-red tint, which colours preparations vividly. A potent plant of the Huo Xue register.
Traditional uses
A strong mover of stagnant Blood. The tradition calls it a mild mover of the Blood in small quantity, and a dissolver of marked stagnation in larger quantity.
A classical distinction: in small quantity Hong Hua gently feeds the movement of the Blood; in larger quantity it breaks settled stagnation.
Often paired with Tao Ren in the moving blends.
Preparation and traditional-use quantity
- Decoction: 3 to 9 g (a small quantity moves gently, a higher quantity breaks up established stagnation)
- Classic pairing with Tao Ren: the queen association for moving stagnant Blood
- Tao Hong Si Wu Tang: the Si Wu Tang blend enriched with Tao Ren and Hong Hua, for stagnation in women
- Wine-prepared form (Jiu Hong Hua): makes the moving action more pronounced
Precautions
A powerful herb: a practitioner’s advice is required.
