Chrysanthemum Flowers
菊花 · Júhuā
Chrysanthemum morifolium
Family: Asteraceae · Part used: Flower head · Origin: Tongxiang, Zhejiang (Hang Bai Ju) & Bozhou, Anhui, China
Nature
Cool
Flavor
Sweet, bitter
Meridian
Liver, Lung
Chrysanthemum has been cultivated in China for over 3,000 years, and its use as a cooling tea is documented since the Han dynasty. The large white Hangzhou flower and small golden Boju are both prized: they clear liver heat, benefit the eyes, and gently disperse wind-heat — the elegant daily tea of Chinese wellness culture.
🌿 Functions & Actions
- •Disperses wind-heat
- •Clears liver heat and brightens the eyes
- •Calms liver yang
- •Resolves toxicity
📋 Traditional Indications
- •Red, painful, or dry eyes
- •Headache and dizziness
- •Early-stage colds with fever
- •Eye strain from screens
- •Mild sore throat
📖 Usage & Dosage
5–10 g steeped in hot water for 5–10 minutes as tea, often with goji berries; or 5–9 g in decoction.
🍵 Classic Recipes
Ju Pu Tea
Chrysanthemum 5 g + goji 10 g, steeped 5 minutes — the classic eye-brightening infusion.
Sang Ju Yin Base
Chrysanthemum with mulberry leaf and honeysuckle for early wind-heat colds.
🔬 Modern Research
Chrysanthemum flavonoids (luteolin, acacetin) are studied for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and eye-protective properties.
⚠️ Contraindications
Use caution with spleen-deficiency diarrhea. Those allergic to plants in the daisy family should avoid.
