Bian Xu (Polygonum aviculare) — Dried Aerial Herb, Food-Herb for Tea & Decoction

Bian Xu (Polygonum aviculare), also known as Common Knotgrass and called Biǎn Xù (萹蓄) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is the dried aerial herb of a traditional food-herb botanical. Folk names such as Zhú Jié Cǎo (竹节草, "bamboo-joint grass") and Zhū Yá Cǎo (猪牙草, "pig-tooth grass") reflect its jointed stems and narrow leaves. Its nature is bitter and slightly cold, making it a cooling, downward-moving herb traditionally associated with clearing damp-heat and supporting smooth water metabolism.

Key Selling Points

• Traditional food-herb aerial botanical
• Polygonum aviculare, known as Common Knotgrass
• Sun-dried whole herb with jointed stems
• Suitable for decoction and herbal tea blends
• Also available as finely milled powder

Quality & Sensory

Each batch is sun-dried to preserve the herb's natural deep-green color, slender jointed stems, and small lance-shaped leaves. The dried herb carries a mild, grassy, slightly earthy aroma. When decocted, it yields a pale golden-green infusion with a gently bitter, faintly astringent taste that softens on the finish, typical of cooling TCM botanicals.

Technical Specifications

Usage Scenarios

• Traditional herbal decoction
• Herbal tea blends
• Seasonal damp-clearing food therapy
• Powdered herb for custom blends
• Soup-pack ingredient in TCM food therapy

Traditional Uses

In folk herbal practice, Bian Xu is decocted alone or combined with other cooling herbs to support the body's natural clearing of damp-heat, particularly in warm and humid seasons. It is a common ingredient in traditional summer decoctions and herbal tea blends, often paired with herbs such as Che Qian Cao (Plantago) and Yi Yi Ren (Coix Seed). In some regional kitchens, the dried herb is simmered into light seasonal soups and grain congee as part of everyday food therapy.

FAQ Q&A