Herb

Ye Jiao Teng

Flowery knotweed stem | 夜交藤

Also known as:

Shǒu Wū Téng (首乌藤) , Qí Téng (棋藤) , Fleeceflower Stem

Ye Jiao Teng

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Properties

Spirit-calming herbs (安神药) · Neutral

Traditionally supports*

Sleep Support Stress and Anxiety Joint and Muscle Health Skin Health

Parts Used

Stem (茎 jīng)

*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

Fleeceflower vine is the stem of the same plant whose root produces Hé Shǒu Wū. It is best known as a gentle, mild sleep aid that works by nourishing Heart Blood and calming the mind, making it suitable for people who have trouble sleeping due to general weakness, stress, or Blood deficiency. It can also ease body aches, joint stiffness, and itchy skin conditions.

Herb Category

Spirit-calming herbs (安神药) Herbs that nourish the Heart and calm the Spirit (养心安神药)

Main Actions

  • Nourishes the Heart and Calms the Spirit
  • Nourishes Blood
  • Disperses Wind
  • Unblocks the Channels and Collaterals
  • Relieves Itching

How These Actions Work

'Nourishes the Heart and calms the spirit' means Yè Jiāo Téng gently supplements the Heart's Blood and Yin, helping settle the mind for sleep. This is its primary action. Classical texts describe it as able to 'guide Yáng into Yīn' (引阳入阴), which is a poetic way of saying it helps the active, wakeful aspect of the body settle down into rest at night. It is most appropriate for insomnia and excessive dreaming caused by insufficient Blood failing to anchor the spirit, rather than for insomnia caused by excess Heat or Phlegm alone.

'Nourishes Blood' refers to Yè Jiāo Téng's mild Blood-supplementing effect through its sweet flavour and its entry into the Heart and Liver channels. The Heart governs Blood and houses the spirit; the Liver stores Blood. By gently nourishing Blood in both organs, it addresses the root cause of restless sleep in Blood-deficient patients and also helps with generalised body aches from Blood failing to nourish the sinews and channels.

'Dispels Wind and unblocks the channels' relates to Yè Jiāo Téng's nature as a vine (téng). In TCM, vine-type herbs characteristically reach into the network vessels and have a channel-opening quality. This makes it useful for Wind-Dampness conditions causing joint pain, numbness, or skin itching. When used externally as a wash, it treats itchy skin conditions like eczema or hives by expelling Wind from the skin surface.

Patterns Addressed

In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony that reveal what's out of balance in the body. Ye Jiao Teng 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 Ye Jiao Teng addresses this pattern

When Heart Blood is insufficient, the spirit (shén) loses its anchor and becomes restless, leading to insomnia, vivid dreaming, and palpitations. Yè Jiāo Téng directly enters the Heart channel with its sweet, Blood-nourishing flavour and neutral temperature, gently replenishing Heart Blood to resettle the spirit. Its classical mechanism of 'guiding Yáng into Yīn' specifically describes how it helps the wakeful aspect of consciousness return to a calm, restful state at night. It is mild enough to use as a supporting herb across many types of insomnia where Blood deficiency plays a role.

A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs

Insomnia

Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

Palpitations

Heart palpitations with anxiety

Excessive Sweating

Vivid or disturbing dreams

Poor Memory

Forgetfulness and poor concentration

TCM Properties

Temperature

Neutral

Taste

Sweet (甘 gān), Bitter (苦 kǔ)

Channels Entered
Heart Liver
Parts Used

Stem (茎 jīng)

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 Ye Jiao Teng consists of thick, uniformly sized vine segments, 3 to 7 mm in diameter, with a purplish-brown outer surface. The bark is thin and may show fine reddish spots and longitudinal wrinkles. The cross-section should show a distinct reddish-brown bark layer, a pale yellow wood section with visible radial patterns, and a white pith at the centre. The herb should be dry, firm, and snap cleanly when broken. It has no strong odour and a mildly bitter, slightly astringent taste. Avoid pieces that are overly thin, mouldy, or have lost their characteristic colour.

Primary Growing Regions

Ye Jiao Teng is widely distributed across China. The major commercial production areas include Hubei, Henan, Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces. It also grows in Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Yunnan, and Taiwan. Among these, Henan, Hubei, and Sichuan are considered key production regions. The plant grows wild on grassy slopes, roadsides, rocky hillsides, and shrubby areas across East China, Central-South China, and Southwest China.

Harvesting Season

Summer and autumn for vine stems with leaves; autumn after leaf drop, or early winter, for vine stems alone.

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

9–15g (decoction); up to 30g for insomnia. External use: appropriate amount.

Maximum

Up to 60g in decoction for severe insomnia or for external wash use, under practitioner supervision. Prolonged use at high doses is not recommended due to potential hepatotoxicity concerns.

Notes

For insomnia: 15 to 30g is the typical effective range, often decocted and taken before bedtime. Lower doses (9 to 15g) are used when combined with other sleep-calming herbs such as Suan Zao Ren and He Huan Pi. For joint and body pain due to Blood deficiency or wind-damp: 15 to 30g, combined with Blood-nourishing and channel-opening herbs. For external use in itchy skin conditions: an appropriate amount is decocted and used as a wash. Because this herb comes from the same plant as He Shou Wu, courses of treatment should be time-limited and liver function should be monitored during extended use.

Toxicity Classification

Non-toxic

Ye Jiao Teng is classified as non-toxic in classical sources and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. However, it comes from the same plant (Polygonum multiflorum) as He Shou Wu, whose root has well-documented hepatotoxicity concerns. The vine stem (Caulis) contains similar chemical constituents to the root, including stilbenes and anthraquinones, but at significantly lower concentrations. Modern research has identified that the risk of liver damage caused by preparations containing Polygoni Multiflori Caulis has been reported by Chinese drug safety authorities, though far fewer cases are linked to the Caulis compared to the root. The hepatotoxicity of Polygonum multiflorum is now understood to be primarily idiosyncratic and immune-mediated, affecting susceptible individuals (particularly those carrying the HLA-B*35:01 allele, found in about 2.7% of Han Chinese). For most people, Ye Jiao Teng at standard doses and for limited durations is considered safe. Nevertheless, prolonged use warrants periodic liver function monitoring.

Contraindications

Caution

Insomnia caused by excess Fire disturbing the Heart (shi huo rao xin). Ye Jiao Teng nourishes Yin and Blood to calm the spirit, making it unsuitable for insomnia driven by robust excess Heat or Fire patterns, where cooling and draining methods are needed instead.

Caution

Pre-existing liver disease or liver dysfunction, or family history of liver disease. Although the stem (Caulis) contains lower levels of potentially hepatotoxic compounds than the root (He Shou Wu), it shares similar chemical constituents including stilbenes and anthraquinones. Prolonged or high-dose use should be avoided in individuals with compromised liver function, and periodic liver function monitoring is advisable during extended use.

Caution

Long-term continuous use at high doses without medical supervision. As a product of the same plant as He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum), there is concern about cumulative exposure to shared chemical constituents. Courses of treatment should be time-limited and guided by a qualified practitioner.

Special Populations

Pregnancy

No specific classical contraindication for pregnancy is recorded for Ye Jiao Teng. However, because it comes from the same plant as He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum), which has documented embryonic toxicity in animal studies, caution is warranted. Pregnant women should use this herb only under the guidance of a qualified practitioner, and it may be prudent to avoid it during pregnancy as a precaution.

Breastfeeding

No specific studies exist on the transfer of Ye Jiao Teng constituents into breast milk. Because the plant (Polygonum multiflorum) contains stilbenes and anthraquinones (which are known to have laxative properties and potential liver effects), caution is advisable. Breastfeeding mothers should consult a qualified practitioner before use and avoid prolonged or high-dose consumption.

Pediatric Use

Ye Jiao Teng is generally mild and can be used in children at reduced doses proportional to age and body weight (typically one-third to one-half the adult dose for older children). Given concerns about shared chemical constituents with He Shou Wu and potential liver effects, use in children should be limited to short courses under practitioner supervision. Avoid prolonged use in paediatric patients.

Drug Interactions

No well-documented specific drug interactions for Ye Jiao Teng (Polygoni Multiflori Caulis) have been established in peer-reviewed literature. However, because the herb shares chemical constituents with He Shou Wu (the root of the same plant), including anthraquinones such as emodin, the following theoretical interactions should be considered:

  • Hepatotoxic drugs: Concurrent use with medications that are metabolized by the liver or have known hepatotoxic potential (e.g. acetaminophen/paracetamol, statins, certain antibiotics) may increase the risk of liver injury. Caution is advised.
  • CYP450 substrates: Emodin and related anthraquinones in the parent plant have been shown to inhibit CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 in animal studies. Drugs metabolized by these enzymes could theoretically be affected.
  • Sedative medications: The herb's demonstrated sedative and hypnotic effects may have additive effects with benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or other CNS depressants.

Dietary Advice

Classical sources record that He Shou Wu (the root from the same plant) is incompatible with pork, lamb blood, and radish (luobo). While these classical dietary prohibitions are specifically attributed to the root rather than the vine, it is reasonable to exercise caution and avoid excessive consumption of these foods while taking Ye Jiao Teng. As a Blood-nourishing and spirit-calming herb, it works best alongside easily digestible, warming foods. Avoid excessive alcohol, coffee, strong tea, and stimulating or greasy foods during treatment, especially when using the herb for insomnia.

Cautions & Warnings

Although this formula 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.