Safflower Flower

The orange-red petals of Carthamus tinctorius, safflower, grown for its red dye since antiquity (used to colour the silks of the nobility and as lip rouge in imperial China).

In the pharmacopoeia, the flowers alone are used (not the seeds, which have other uses).

Harvested at full bloom, dried in the shade, they keep their intense orange-red tint, which colours preparations vividly. A potent plant of the Huo Xue register.

A strong mover of stagnant Blood. The tradition calls it a mild mover of the Blood in small quantity, and a dissolver of marked stagnation in larger quantity.

A classical distinction: in small quantity Hong Hua gently feeds the movement of the Blood; in larger quantity it breaks settled stagnation.

Often paired with Tao Ren in the moving blends.

• Decoction: 3 to 9 g (a small quantity moves gently, a higher quantity breaks up established stagnation)
• Classic pairing with Tao Ren: the queen association for moving stagnant Blood
• Tao Hong Si Wu Tang: the Si Wu Tang blend enriched with Tao Ren and Hong Hua, for stagnation in women
• Wine-prepared form (Jiu Hong Hua): makes the moving action more pronounced

A powerful herb: a practitioner’s advice is required.