Mulberry mistletoe, the guest worth more than its tree

Sang Ji Sheng reads “what grows as a guest on the mulberry”. It is an evergreen shrub of the Loranthaceae family that grows not in the soil but on the branches of a tree: it attaches itself with suckers that draw water and nutrients, while keeping its own leaves. It is called mulberry mistletoe, but it is not European mistletoe. Since it draws its substance from its host, its composition changes with the tree that bears it, and tradition recognises only the one from the mulberry, from which it draws, so it says, “the fine essence”. Its young leafy twigs are used; its reference terroir is Guangdong and Guangxi.

Nourishing the Liver and Kidney, masters of the frame

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, mulberry mistletoe is neutral, with a bitter and sweet flavour. Bitterness enters the Kidney, and that is how it reaches the bones; sweetness nourishes the Blood. It is associated with the Liver, which governs the tendons, and the Kidney, which governs the bones. Its neutral nature, adding neither Heat nor Cold, allows long-term use, and the oldest text of the pharmacopoeia already placed it in the upper class, that of substances that can be taken for a long time. Tradition credits it with supplementing the Liver and Kidney, and thereby strengthening the tendons and bones.

Expelling and rebuilding at the same time

Tradition calls Bi the obstruction of the channels and joints by Wind, Cold and Dampness. Most plants that address it disperse, and prolonged dispersal exhausts; mulberry mistletoe expels Wind-Damp and supplements at the same time. This is why tradition reserves it for long-standing obstructions, against a background of weakened Liver and Kidney. With pubescent angelica, it forms the founding pair of Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang: one expels, the other rebuilds.

Key benefits

Joint Comfort & Obstacles Lifted

By expelling the Wind and Dampness that encumber the joints, mulberry mistletoe promotes joint comfort.

Suppleness & Strengthened Tendons

Through the Liver, master of the tendons, it supports joint suppleness and strengthens the body’s frame according to Chinese tradition.

Liver & Kidney Supported

Neutral and sweet, it supplements the Liver and Kidney without heating or cooling, and lends itself to prolonged use.