Other Names: Chai Hu • Thorowax Root • Hare’s Ear Root • Chinese Thoroughwax
✨ Energetic & Astrological Profile
Element: Wood
Phase of the Moon: Waxing Moon
Zodiac Signs: Virgo, Scorpio, and Capricorn. Especially balancing for Aries and Leo types that burn too hot.
Planets: Mars, Saturn
Tarot Cards:
🌀 Temperance – regulation and flow
🌙 Justice – rebalance and release
🔥 The Tower – disruption followed by clarity
🌿 8 of Cups – emotional departure, energetic liberation
🌍 Habitat & Sensory Nature
Bupleurum is native to East Asia, particularly China, Korea, and Japan. It grows in sunny fields and grassy mountain slopes, often quietly doing its deep, slow work beneath the soil.
Flavour: Bitter, slightly sweet, grounding
Temperature: Cooling
Humidity: Drying
Tissue State Support: Heat with stagnation, congestion, tension
🧬 Phytochemistry & Herbal Actions
Constituents:
- Saikosaponins
- Polyacetylenes
- Flavonoids
- Lignans
Primary Actions:
Liver tonic • Anti-inflammatory • Immunomodulator • Adaptogen • Antipyretic • Detoxifier • Qi regulator (in Traditional Chinese Medicine)
💊 Medicinal Benefits
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), bupleurum is famous for its role in “releasing the exterior” and freeing the Liver Qi — a fancy way of saying it unsticks stuck energy and helps your emotions and systems flow again.
🌿 Liver & Gallbladder Support
- Helps clear liver congestion and stagnant heat
- Aids hormonal balance, PMS, and mood swings related to liver sluggishness
- Often used in formulas for hepatitis, liver inflammation, and sluggish digestion
🌿 Emotional Regulation
- Used for irritability, frustration, and emotional repression — especially when anger gets internalised
- A classic choice for folks who bottle it all up until they snap
🌿 Immune & Fever Support
- Traditionally used in alternating chills and fever presentations (like early-stage flu)
- Modulates immune function — may support autoimmune balance in complex formulations
This root is for those who feel pent-up, overburdened, or like they’re carrying too much for too long, physically or emotionally. Bupleurum doesn’t just help the liver — it helps you finally exhale.
🧘 Emotional & Energetic Benefits
Bupleurum is the herb for energetic constipation. (Yes, I said it.)
It’s like your herbal older sister walking in with a playlist, a broom, and a deep sigh: “Okay, babe, let’s move this old energy out of your body.”
Ideal for:
- Mood swings
- Rage suppressed under people-pleasing
- Grief trapped in the chest
- Decision paralysis caused by emotional stagnation
It’s a mover. A liberator. And a quiet powerhouse.
🧒 Child-Friendly Use
⚠ Only to be used under the care of a qualified herbalist for children. It’s strong and best reserved for specific conditions in appropriate formulas.
⚠️ Contraindications
⚠ Not recommended during acute dehydration or with strong diuretics
⚠ Avoid during pregnancy unless prescribed by a clinical herbalist
⚠ May interfere with immunosuppressant medications
🧪 Dosage & Preparation
🌼 Tea (Decoction): 3–9g dried root simmered in water for 20–30 minutes (traditionally part of formulas)
🌼 Tincture: 15–30 drops of 1:5 extract up to 3x daily
🌼 TCM Formulas: Often paired with peony, licorice, or skullcap for deeper systemic action
🛒 Shop This Herb:
Coming soon – bupleurum tinctures and support blends crafted for emotional detox, hormonal balance, and deep liver clarity. Subscribe to be the first to know.
🔮 Daz’s Diagnosis
Some herbs walk in with softness. Bupleurum walks in with a clipboard.
It sees the tension in your jaw, the tightness in your chest, the fact that you’ve been “fine” for far too long. And it gently — but firmly — starts the process of liberation.
For anyone navigating emotional shutdowns, hormonal storms, or a general sense that something’s gotta give... this is the one.
It’s the “I got you” for when your soul needs to detox, your mood needs smoothing out, and your liver just wants a moment of peace.
Disclaimer: The information shared in these plant profiles is intended for educational and inspirational purposes only. The uses and properties described are based on traditional knowledge, folk practices, and historical sources. They are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner or clinical herbalist before using any herbs, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication, or managing a health condition.
