- Region
- Asia
- Origin
- Central and northern China; known in Europe as an early-flowering ornamental shrub. Forsythia suspensa
- Other names
- Chinees klokje
Asia · Herb · № 148
Forsythia suspensa
Herb · Asia
Weeping forsythia (lian qiao)
Forsythia suspensa
The fruits (lian qiao) are a 'cooling' herb in Chinese medicine for early colds with sore throat and fever, and for skin inflammation. There is little clinical research on lian qiao alone.
Safety notes
Not suitable with a cold, sensitive stomach or diarrhoea. Serious infections need a doctor.
Cautions by tradition (2)
- Herbal medicine worldwide: Not with diarrhoea or yin deficiency.
- Chinese materia medica: Not with a cold, weak spleen or stomach or with open ulcers.
Preparation
The dried fruits as decoction, usually with honeysuckle (jin yin hua). No dosage is given here.
Use in traditions
Together with honeysuckle, lian qiao forms the core of Yin Qiao San, an 18th-century formula still widely used for colds in China. Ody describes it as an important Chinese fever herb.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Herbal medicine worldwide
Attributed effects
Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, fever-reducing.
Preparation and amount
Fruit.
Caution: Not with diarrhoea or yin deficiency.
Chinese materia medica
- Nature and taste
- bitter, cool
- Meridians
- heart, liver, lung, gallbladder
Attributed effects
Cools heat and 'toxin' in the blood in high fever, thirst and infections, expels wind-heat with fever, sore throat and headache and dissolves swollen lymph nodes, abscesses and boils.
Preparation and amount
Traditional dosage: 3–12 g a day, usually in a decoction.
Combinations
- With honeysuckle flower for wind-heat and sore throat
Caution: Not with a cold, weak spleen or stomach or with open ulcers.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Decoction