Huai Hua – Sophora Flower – Flos Sophorae

Huai Hua

English Name: sophora, Japanese pagoda tree flower, Chinese scholar tree flower

Literal Translation: “pagoda flower”

Pharmaceutical Name: Flos Sophorae

Medica Category: Stop-Bleeding Herbs

Properties: Huai Hua enters the Liver and Large Intestine channels; it is bitter in nature and cool in temperature.

What is Huai Hua?:

The Chinese Herb Huai Hua is the flower that comes from the Japanese pagoda tree (aka Chinese scholar tree– Sophora japonica L.), a medium to large deciduous tree native to China and Korea that is widely cultivated for its attractive, late summer blossoming of fragrant white flowers. These flowers are picked/gathered, dried, and ground into powder for use as medicine. The fresh juice can also be used medicinally, or it can be charred to increase its function to stop bleeding (see below).

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Therapeutic Actions of Huai Hua:

Huai Hua cools the blood and stops bleeding to address various bleeding disorders caused by blood heat (i.e. situations characterized by profuse bleeding of bright red blood). The herb has a descending nature and is most commonly used to address bleeding in the lower jiao. Clinical applications of this herb might include hematochezia (blood in the stools/bleeding from the anus), hematuria (blood in the urine), heavy menstrual bleeding, and bleeding hemorrhoids.

Huai Hua enters the Liver channels and can be used to clear heat and sedate Liver Fire, addressing such conditions as red eyes, headaches, dizziness, vertigo, and hypertension.