Herb

Pu Huang (Tan)

Cattail pollen (processed) | 蒲黄(炭)

Also known as:

Carbon cattail pollen , Carbon Typha

Pu Huang (Tan)

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Properties

Hemostatic herbs (止血药) · Neutral

Traditionally supports*

Menstrual Health Pain Management Urinary Health Cardiovascular Health

Parts Used

Pollen (花粉 huā fěn)

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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About This Herb

Traditional Chinese Medicine background and properties

Herb Description

Cattail pollen is a gentle but versatile herb best known for its dual ability to stop bleeding and dissolve blood clots at the same time. This means it can address bleeding problems without causing further complications from trapped old blood. It is commonly used for painful periods, postpartum pain, blood in the urine, and various types of internal bleeding.

Herb Category

Hemostatic herbs (止血药) Herbs that transform stasis and stop bleeding (化瘀止血药)

Main Actions

  • Stops Bleeding
  • Invigorates Blood and Dispels Stasis
  • Promotes Urination and Relieves Stranguria

How These Actions Work

'Stops bleeding' means Pu Huang can help control various types of bleeding, including nosebleeds, vomiting blood, coughing blood, blood in the urine, heavy menstrual bleeding (崩漏 bēng lòu), and traumatic bleeding. Unlike some hemostatic herbs that simply constrict vessels, Pu Huang's special quality is that it stops bleeding without trapping old, stagnant blood inside the body. When charcoal-processed (蒲黄炭 Pú Huáng Tàn), this hemostatic action becomes significantly stronger and is preferred for acute bleeding without obvious stagnation.

'Resolves blood stasis' means Pu Huang can break up and move blood that has become stuck or stagnant. This is why it is used for sharp, stabbing pain in the chest or abdomen, painful periods, and postpartum abdominal pain caused by retained old blood. This action is strongest in the raw (生 shēng) form. It enters the Liver and Pericardium channels, which are closely connected to blood storage and blood circulation. The classical pairing with Wu Ling Zhi (flying squirrel feces) in the formula Shi Xiao San is the most famous application of this action.

'Promotes urination and frees strangury' means Pu Huang can help relieve painful, difficult, or bloody urination (a condition TCM calls 'blood strangury' or 血淋 xuè lín). By clearing stasis from the Bladder area and promoting urine flow, it addresses urinary tract conditions where blood appears in the urine alongside burning pain and urgency.

Patterns Addressed

In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony that reveal what's out of balance in the body. Pu Huang is traditionally associated with these specific patterns.

The following describes this herb's classification within Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and is provided for educational purposes only.

Why Pu Huang addresses this pattern

Pu Huang's sweet taste and neutral temperature allow it to gently enter the Liver and Pericardium channels, the two channels most closely tied to blood storage and circulation. Its core action of resolving blood stasis (化瘀) directly addresses the blocked blood flow that defines this pattern. When blood stagnates, it causes sharp, fixed, stabbing pain, and Pu Huang's ability to both invigorate blood movement and disperse accumulated stasis makes it particularly well-suited. Unlike warmer or harsher blood-movers, Pu Huang's neutral nature means it can be used whether the underlying stasis leans slightly warm or cold, making it flexible across a range of blood stasis presentations.

A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs

Amenorrhea

Painful periods with dark, clotted menstrual blood

Chest Pain

Sharp, stabbing chest or abdominal pain with fixed location

Prostate Disorders

Postpartum abdominal pain from retained lochia

TCM Properties

Temperature

Neutral

Taste

Sweet (甘 gān)

Channels Entered
Liver Pericardium
Parts Used

Pollen (花粉 huā fěn)

This is partial information on the herb's TCM properties. More detailed information is available on the herb's dedicated page

Product Details

Manufacturing, supplier, and product specifications

Product Type

Granules

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Botanical & Sourcing

Quality Indicators

Good quality Pu Huang is a fine, bright golden-yellow powder that is extremely light and floats when placed on water. When rubbed between the fingers, it feels smooth and slippery and easily adheres to the skin, staining it yellow. It has a very faint aroma and a bland taste. Under magnification, the pollen grains should appear as roughly spherical to elliptical particles, approximately 17 to 29 micrometres in diameter, with a characteristic net-like (reticulate) surface pattern. The best quality herb is pure, free from impurities, and sinks minimally in water. Avoid material that is brownish, coarse, gritty, or that sinks rapidly in water, which may indicate adulteration with non-pollen material.

Primary Growing Regions

Pu Huang is primarily produced in the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, Anhui, and Hubei in China. It is also found across northeast China, north China, and parts of the southwest. The species grows widely in marshes, shallow ponds, lake margins, and irrigation ditches throughout the temperate and subtropical regions of Eurasia. Classical sources note that the herb from Mount Tai (Taishan) in Shandong was considered of superior quality.

Harvesting Season

Summer (June to July), when the male flower spikes are just beginning to open and pollen has not yet dispersed.

Supplier Information

Treasure of the East

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Miscellaneous Info

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Usage & Safety

How to use this herb and important safety information

Important Medical Disclaimer

The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or to replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. This herb is a dietary supplement and has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition, or are taking other medications. Discontinue use and consult your healthcare provider if you experience any adverse reactions.

Recommended Dosage

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Instructions for safe storage and consumption

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Traditional Dosage Reference

Standard

5-10g

Maximum

Up to 30g per day has been used in clinical studies for lipid-lowering purposes, in divided doses and under practitioner supervision.

Notes

The standard decoction dose is 5-10g. Raw Pu Huang (Sheng Pu Huang) is preferred when the goal is to invigorate Blood, dispel stasis, and relieve pain, or to promote urination for blood-strangury. Charred Pu Huang (Pu Huang Tan) is used when the primary goal is to stop bleeding, as charring enhances its astringent, hemostatic effect. However, modern clinical experience suggests that raw Pu Huang also possesses significant hemostatic activity. For external application to wounds or mouth ulcers, the powder is applied directly in appropriate amounts. When taken as a powder dissolved in liquid (rather than decocted), lower doses of 1.5-3g per dose are typical.

Processing Methods

Processing method

The raw pollen is stir-fried over high heat until it turns dark brown to black (charcoal-processing), then a small amount of clean water is sprinkled on to stop the burning. The pollen must retain some of its original properties ('cún xìng' 存性) and not be fully incinerated. The product is then cooled thoroughly for 1 to 2 days before storage, as it reignites easily.

How it changes properties

Charcoal processing significantly increases the astringent, hemostatic (止血) action. The raw form's blood-invigorating and stasis-dispersing properties are weakened, while the ability to stop bleeding becomes dominant. The temperature remains neutral, but the overall effect shifts from moving blood to holding blood.

When to use this form

Preferred for acute bleeding conditions where there is little or no underlying blood stasis, such as heavy uterine bleeding (崩漏), vomiting blood, nosebleeds, or blood in the stool. When the priority is to stop bleeding quickly rather than address stagnation, charcoal-processed Pu Huang is the better choice.

Toxicity Classification

Non-toxic

Pu Huang is classified as non-toxic in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. No toxic components or toxicity symptoms have been reported at standard dosages. However, because it is a pollen product, it may cause allergic reactions (sneezing, skin rash) in pollen-sensitive individuals. Adulteration is a more significant safety concern than intrinsic toxicity: Pu Huang has been found adulterated with pine pollen, cornstarch, talcum powder, limestone dust, sawdust, or excessive amounts of non-medicinal cattail fluff (蒲绒), all of which can compromise efficacy and safety.

Contraindications

Avoid

Pregnancy. Raw Pu Huang has a documented ability to stimulate uterine smooth muscle contraction, which may promote miscarriage or premature labor.

Caution

Active hemorrhage without blood stasis. In cases of bleeding caused purely by Qi deficiency failing to hold Blood (with no underlying stasis), raw Pu Huang's blood-moving properties may worsen the bleeding.

Caution

Patients taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications (e.g. warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel). Pu Huang contains flavonoids and other compounds with both pro-coagulant and antiplatelet activity, potentially altering coagulation status unpredictably.

Caution

Scheduled surgery. Should be discontinued at least 1-2 weeks before any surgical procedure due to its effects on platelet aggregation and bleeding time.

Caution

Individuals with known pollen allergies. As a pollen product, Pu Huang may trigger allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

Special Populations

Pregnancy

Contraindicated during pregnancy. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated that Pu Huang directly stimulates uterine smooth muscle contraction and increases uterine tone. Clinical observations in postpartum women showed accelerated uterine involution and reduced lochia after oral administration, confirming its uterotonic effect. Classical sources also note that it can "cause descent of the fetus" (下血坠胎). This uterine-stimulating action poses a risk of miscarriage or premature labor.

Breastfeeding

No specific safety data exists for Pu Huang during breastfeeding. While it is not traditionally listed as contraindicated during lactation (and is in fact noted in some classical sources as promoting milk flow), its Blood-moving properties warrant caution. Use only under practitioner supervision during breastfeeding.

Pediatric Use

No specific pediatric dosage guidelines are established in classical or modern texts. Pu Huang should be used in children only under qualified practitioner supervision, at reduced dosages proportional to body weight (typically one-third to one-half of the adult dose for older children). Classical sources note that cattail pollen mixed with honey was considered beneficial for children as a food supplement.

Drug Interactions

Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications (warfarin, heparin, aspirin, clopidogrel): Pu Huang contains flavonoids (such as isorhamnetin glycosides and quercetin derivatives) and sitosterol glucoside that have demonstrated both antiplatelet and fibrinolytic activity in laboratory studies. Concurrent use may unpredictably alter coagulation parameters, potentially increasing bleeding risk. Monitoring of INR or bleeding time is advised if co-administration is unavoidable.

Blood pressure medications: Some sources suggest Pu Huang may have mild hypotensive effects through its vascular actions. Caution is warranted when combining with antihypertensive drugs, though clinical evidence is limited.

Dietary Advice

When using Pu Huang to stop bleeding, avoid spicy, hot, and pungent foods (chilli peppers, alcohol, fried foods) that may aggravate Blood Heat and counteract its hemostatic action. When using it to invigorate Blood and relieve pain, avoid excessive cold and raw foods that may impede Blood circulation. In general, a bland, easily digestible diet supports the herb's therapeutic effects.

Cautions & Warnings

Although this herb is typically safe for most individuals, it may cause side effects in some people. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, postpartum women, and those with liver disease should use the formula with caution.

As with any Chinese herbal remedy, it is advisable to seek guidance from a qualified TCM practitioner before beginning treatment.