Chinese Rose Flower — Classic Formulas
Yue Ji Hua · Flos Rosae Chinensis
Primary Actions
- Invigorates blood and regulates menstruation - Yue Ji Hua is used for dysmenorrhea, scanty menses, amenorrhea, and menstrual irregularity when constrained blood and Qi lead to fixed lower-abdominal pain or difficult flow.
- Reduces swelling and resolves toxicity - beyond gynecology, the flower is traditionally applied for boils, breast-area swelling, scrofula, and early hot suppurative lesions where blood stasis has transformed into heat and swelling.
- Moves Qi within blood-stasis patterns - classical comparison with Mei Gui Hua emphasizes that Yue Ji Hua works more strongly on the blood aspect of stagnation, especially when pain, clots, or traumatic bruising predominate.
- Relieves pain and swelling from traumatic injury - regional use includes bruises, fixed injury pain, and superficial inflammatory swellings treated internally or as a topical preparation.
Classic Formulas
- Yue Ji Hua with Dang Gui and Dan Shen - classical blood-moving wine or decoction logic for scanty menstruation, amenorrhea, and lower-abdominal stasis pain.
- Yue Ji Hua with Xia Ku Cao, Zhe Bei Mu, and Mu Li - pairing logic preserved in materia medica for neck swellings and scrofula where stasis, phlegm, and heat intertwine.
- Topical Yue Ji Hua poultice - traditional external use for boils, swellings, breast abscess, and early toxic lesions when the goal is to reduce swelling while moving constrained blood.
Classical Text References
- TCM Wiki describes Yue Ji Hua as sweet and warm, entering the Liver and Kidney channels, with actions of activating blood, regulating menstruation, resolving swelling, and removing toxicity for traumatic injury, sores, boils, dysmenorrhea, and abnormal menstruation.
- American Dragon likewise lists the flower under blood-invigorating herbs and stresses its distinction from Mei Gui Hua: Yue Ji Hua works more strongly on blood stasis, while Mei Gui Hua is more Qi-regulating.
- A traditional herb compendium summary quoted by Birt and Tang attributes to Yue Ji Hua the ability to invigorate blood circulation, relieve swellings, and draw out toxins externally, reinforcing that its skin and abscess uses are not just modern additions.