Natural Herb Library

Four-Season Onion Bulb

Chinese
四季葱头
Pinyin
Si Ji Cong Tou
Latin
Bulbus Allii Fistulosi
Botanical illustration of Four-Season Onion Bulb, Allium fistulosum, showing clustered tillers, white bulb bases, hollow leaves, inflorescence, bulb section, roots, and diagnostic plant details.
Botanical plate by Kodi . View print →

Known in TCM as Si Ji Cong Tou (四季葱头), this pungent, warm herb enters the Lung and Stomach. Traditionally, it releases exterior and dispels Wind-Cold, most often applied for common cold, abdominal pain, and mastitis. Modern research has identified Allicin among its active constituents.

Part used: Bulb

Also Known As

Allium

Latin: Bulbus Allii Fistulosi | Pinyin: Si Ji Cong Tou | Chinese: 四季葱头

TCM Properties

Taste
pungent
Temperature
warm
Channels
Lung, Stomach

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

  • Releases exterior and dispels Wind-Cold … bulb base of the four-season scallion cultivar; pungent-warm dispersion for early wind-cold colds with chills, headache, and blocked nasal passages; functionally equivalent to Cong Bai (white base, herb #92) from standard Allium fistulosum
  • Invigorates Yang and disperses Cold … abdominal cold-pain, cold limbs, and nausea from Cold accumulation in the Middle Jiao; Yi Yang Jiu Ni (revolve Yang to rescue counterflow) application shared with all Allium fistulosum bulb drugs
  • Resolves toxicity and reduces swelling … topical fresh application for mastitis, carbuncles, and minor infections

Secondary Actions

  • Year-round kitchen medicine … Si Ji ('four seasons') designates a cultivar bred for continuous year-round production; the bulb base is used identically to standard Cong Bai in folk and culinary medicine
  • Promotes urination … classical folk use of white onion bulb with salt for umbilical compress in cold-obstruction urinary retention

Classic Formulas

  • Cong Chi Tang (葱豉汤) variant … bulb base combined with Dan Dou Chi for early Wind-Cold cold; functionally identical to the standard Cong Bai formulation (herb #92); use is interchangeable in clinical practice

Classical References

  • CULTIVAR NOTE: Si Ji Cong Tou (四季葱头, 'four-season onion head/bulb') designates a year-round-producing cultivar of Allium fistulosum … the same species as Cong Bai (葱白, herb #92) and Cong (葱, herb #93); the XLSX source filed three separate entries for Bulbus Allii Fistulosi, likely representing the standard white base, the whole plant, and this specific four-season cultivar; in standard TCM Pharmacopoeia usage, Cong Bai (Bulbus Allii Fistulosi) is the recognised drug; Si Ji Cong Tou is primarily a culinary designation used in markets distinguishing continuous-harvest cultivars from seasonal varieties
  • Ben Cao Gang Mu (Li Shizhen): the onion bulb base (Cong Bai) is 'pungent and warm, opens the pores, invigorates Yang, disperses Cold … the white root is the medicinal part, the green stalk is secondary; consumed in all seasons as a kitchen medicine since antiquity'

Modern Research

Active Compounds

  • Allicin and diallyl disulfide (organosulfur compounds; antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory)
  • Quercetin and kaempferol glycosides (flavonoids; anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardioprotective)
  • Cycloalliin (organosulfur; mild antithrombotic)
  • Fructo-oligosaccharides (prebiotic polysaccharides; gut microbiome support)
  • Vitamin C and folate (micronutrients; antioxidant, immune support)

Studied Effects

  • Antimicrobial: allicin and organosulfur compounds from Allium fistulosum demonstrate broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against upper respiratory pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae … consistent with traditional exterior-releasing, anti-infective use shared by all Allium fistulosum bulb preparations
  • Cardiovascular and prebiotic: quercetin reduces LDL oxidation and platelet aggregation; fructo-oligosaccharides selectively feed Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species in the colon … pharmacological profile identical to Cong Bai (herb #92) given shared species, part, and chemistry

Safety & Interactions

Contraindications

  • Wind-Heat exterior patterns (fever with sweating, sore throat, yellow phlegm) … pungent-warm action inappropriate for Heat-type exterior conditions
  • Excess sweating patterns … further pore-opening depletes fluids

Cautions

  • Standard dose: 3–5 stalks white base in decoction; external use: roasted or fresh bulb applied to skin for mastitis and carbuncle
  • Anticoagulants: cycloalliin and quercetin have mild antiplatelet activity; not clinically significant at culinary doses
  • Considered safe at culinary and folk-medicine doses; classified as a food herb (shi yao 食药)

Conditions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Four-Season Onion Bulb used for?

Four-Season Onion Bulb is traditionally used to Releases exterior and dispels Wind-Cold … bulb base of the four-season scallion cultivar; pungent-warm dispersion for early wind-cold colds with chills, headache, and blocked nasal passages; functionally equivalent to Cong Bai (white base, herb #92) from standard Allium fistulosum, Invigorates Yang and disperses Cold … abdominal cold-pain, cold limbs, and nausea from Cold accumulation in the Middle Jiao; Yi Yang Jiu Ni (revolve Yang to rescue counterflow) application shared with all Allium fistulosum bulb drugs, Resolves toxicity and reduces swelling … topical fresh application for mastitis, carbuncles, and minor infections. Research has investigated its effects on: Antimicrobial: allicin and organosulfur compounds from Allium fistulosum demonstrate broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against upper respiratory pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae … consistent with traditional exterior-releasing, anti-infective use shared by all Allium fistulosum bulb preparations; Cardiovascular and prebiotic: quercetin reduces LDL oxidation and platelet aggregation; fructo-oligosaccharides selectively feed Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species in the colon … pharmacological profile identical to Cong Bai (herb #92) given shared species, part, and chemistry.

What are other names for Four-Season Onion Bulb?

Four-Season Onion Bulb is also known as Allium. In TCM: 四季葱头 (Si Ji Cong Tou); Bulbus Allii Fistulosi.

Is Four-Season Onion Bulb safe during pregnancy?

Four-Season Onion Bulb is generally considered safe during pregnancy in normal amounts. Therapeutic or concentrated doses should be discussed with a qualified practitioner before use.

What are the contraindications for Four-Season Onion Bulb?

Four-Season Onion Bulb should not be used in: Wind-Heat exterior patterns (fever with sweating, sore throat, yellow phlegm) … pungent-warm action inappropriate for Heat-type exterior conditions; Excess sweating patterns … further pore-opening depletes fluids. Consult a qualified practitioner before use.