Qīng Hāo (青蒿), known in English as Sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua), is a cold, bitter and acrid Chinese herb from the Clear heat category. It enters the Liver, Gallbladder and Kidney channels. Its main action: clears deficiency Heat, cools Blood.
| Pinyin | Qīng Hāo (Qing Hao) |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 青蒿 |
| English | Sweet wormwood |
| Botanical name | Artemisia annua |
| Category | Clear heat |
| Nature | Cold |
| Flavour | Bitter, Acrid |
| Channels | Liver, Gallbladder, Kidney |
| Dosage | 3–9g (add late to decoction) |
| Cautions | Spleen deficiency diarrhoea; do not boil long |
Actions
- Clears deficiency Heat, cools Blood
- Clears Shao Yang Heat (alternating fever/chills)
- Clears summer Heat
Indications
- Yin deficiency steaming bone disorder
- Shao Yang pattern
- Malaria
- Summer Heat
How to remember Qīng Hāo
Clear heat herbs are mostly cool or cold and bitter, and most enter the Stomach and Liver channels.
- You can work these out
- Cold, Bitter, Liver channel: like most Clear heat herbs
- Learn by heart
- Acrid: unusual for Clear heat herbs (most are bitter)
- Gallbladder and Kidney channels: nothing in its group or its actions points to them
Formulas containing Qīng Hāo
Other Clear heat herbs
- Shí Gāo
- Zhī Mǔ
- Huáng Qín
- Huáng Lián
- Huáng Bǎi
- Lóng Dǎn Cǎo
- Zhī Zǐ
- Jīn Yín Huā
- Lián Qiào
- Pú Gōng Yīng
- Tiān Huā Fěn
- Lú Gēn
- Zhú Yè
- Xià Kū Cǎo
- Jué Míng Zǐ
- Kǔ Shēn
- Qín Pí
- Bái Xiān Pí
- Zǐ Huā Dì Dīng
- Bái Huā Shé Shé Cǎo
- Bǎn Lán Gēn
- Tǔ Fú Líng
- Shè Gān
- Dì Gǔ Pí
- Yín Chái Hú
- Hú Huáng Lián
- Mǔ Dān Pí
- Chì Sháo
- Xuán Shēn
- Shuǐ Niú Jiǎo
- Bái Wēi
- Bái Tóu Wēng
- Bài Jiàng Cǎo
- Yú Xīng Cǎo
- Shān Dòu Gēn
- Mǎ Bó
- Yě Jú Huā
- Lǜ Dòu
- Hé Yè
Test yourself
What is the nature and flavour of Qīng Hāo?
Qīng Hāo is cold and bitter and acrid.
Which channels does Qīng Hāo enter?
Qīng Hāo enters the Liver, Gallbladder and Kidney channels.
What are the actions of Qīng Hāo?
Clears deficiency Heat, cools Blood; Clears Shao Yang Heat (alternating fever/chills); Clears summer Heat.
What is Qīng Hāo used for?
Yin deficiency steaming bone disorder; Shao Yang pattern; malaria; summer Heat.
Which formulas contain Qīng Hāo?
Qīng Jīng Sǎn and Qīng Gǔ Sǎn.
Practise Qīng Hāo and the other 290 herbs
Recognise each herb from its picture, recall its nature, flavour, channels and actions, and review it again just before you would forget it.
Try the 5-question herb quizShen Study is a study tool. Doses and cautions are as taught in standard Chinese materia medica texts; they are not prescribing advice.