Witnessed by: TCM
Magnolia flower (Magnolia liliiflora), of the Magnoliaceae family. Deciduous shrub or small tree flowering before leafing; native range: central and southern China, widely cultivated. Globally recognized as xin yi hua (辛夷花) in Chinese, and magnolia flower bud, lily magnolia bud in English. The part used is unopened flower bud. Furry brush-shaped bud covered in silky greenish-grey hairs, aromatic, with a warm acrid taste.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
MAGNOLIA FLOWER
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- magnolia flower
- Scientific name
- Magnolia liliiflora Desr.
- Family
- Magnoliaceae
Form
- Part used
- unopened flower bud
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- pungent
Temperature
- TCM
- warm
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Lung · Stomach
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- dispels wind-cold, unblocks the nasal passages, opens the orifices of the nose
Cautions
- Contraindications
- caution in yin-deficient heat and qi deficiency
- Toxicity
- the fine hairs may irritate the throat if unstrained
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