Botanical Name: Angelica sinensis (syn. A. polymorpha) | Family: Umbelliferae (syn. Apiaceae)
Common name(s): Dong quai, Chinese angelica, Dong qui, Dang gui, Tang quei, Female ginseng
Related: Angelica, which can be substituted in some cases
GROWING
- Perennial | Zones 6-9 | 3 feet | White, umbrella-shaped flowers August-September and seeds ripen September-October
- Full sun to partial shade | Moist, well-drained soil | Woodland garden plant
- Sow seeds directly in spring or fall (better germination rate in the fall, keep in cold frame for first winter). Does not transplant well because the taproots go very deep. Not frost-hardy.
HARVESTING
Harvest the root/rhizome in Autumn. Plants take 3 years to mature. Slice the roots before drying for easier use.
PREPARATION / DOSAGE
Decoction: Put 1 tsp of the dried root into 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Drink 1-2x/day.
Tincture: 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) with water up to 4x/day
Dried root: 4-7 grams
Culinary: All parts of the plants can be used in cooking – leaves, stems, roots.
MEDICAL
Constituents: Coumarins, essential oils, ferulic acid, phytosterols, polyacetylenes
Actions: Alterative, antispasmodic, uterine tonic
Uses: Female gynecological ailments, especially cramping, irregularity, menopausal symptoms; insomnia, hypertension, constipation
Cautions: Promotes bleeding, do not take when pregnant, on blood thinners, or with heavy menstrual flow. The oil in the plant can cause sensitivity to sunlight if used externally.
CHINESE MEDICINE
Warm energy, bitter and acrid taste
SOURCES
- The Way of Herbs, Michael Tierra
- The Complete Medicinal Herbal, Penelope Ody
- Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, Andrew Chevallier
- Plants for a Future
- Mother Earth Living
- photo credit: Jennyhsu47 via Flickr under cc license
Sometimes doing a materia medica is very difficult. This was one of those. Information all over the place, trying to find all the pieces I needed, including a photo of the plant. Couldn’t find one that I could use, but found one of the roots. There are also multiple spellings of the common name (Dong Quai appears to be the most used) and synonyms for the botanical names!
