Prunella, the herb that withers in summer

Xia Ku Cao, the Chinese name for common prunella (Prunella vulgaris), reads “the herb that withers in summer”. It is an accurate observation: the plant fades after the summer solstice, just as the rest of the vegetation is at its peak. The physicians of old drew from this a reading of its character: born in winter, it dies at the height of summer, when Yang reaches its peak, and for this reason receives a cold nature. Its fruiting spike is used, harvested in clear weather in May and June, once it has turned reddish brown; Jiangsu and Zhejiang are regarded as its reference growing areas.

Clearing Liver Fire

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, prunella is cold, pungent and bitter in flavour: bitterness brings Fire down, pungency disperses what has knotted. It enters only two meridians, the Liver and the Gallbladder, and its whole action plays out there. As the Liver opens into the eyes according to tradition, it is most readily linked to clear sight. Li Shizhen chose a gentle verb for it: it “eases” Liver Fire rather than breaking it, and one ancient text even grants it a share in nourishing Liver Blood.

A cold, light plant at the heart of cooling teas

Despite its coldness, the spike keeps something light: it weighs almost nothing, and tradition says it can raise and diffuse, a singular trait for a cold plant. In Guangdong and throughout southern China, prunella is one of the basic ingredients of cooling herbal teas, everyday drinks meant to remove Heat, where scholarly practice and popular use meet. It pairs readily with the gentler chrysanthemum, for the Liver and the eyes.

Key benefits

Heat cleared & freshness

Cold and bitter, prunella clears Liver Heat and brings it back down according to Chinese tradition.

Clear vision

As the Liver opens into the eyes according to tradition, it supports clear vision.

Everyday freshness

An ingredient of the cooling herbal teas of southern China, it brings freshness and clarity when Heat makes itself felt.