Xia Ku Cao (Prunella vulgaris) — Dried Selfheal Flower Spikes for Herbal Tea & Cooling Drinks

Xia Ku Cao (Prunella vulgaris), known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as Xià Kū Cǎo (夏枯草) and commonly called Selfheal, is the dried flowering spike of a revered food-herb botanical. Also referred to as Xia Ku Qiu (夏枯球) when the flower heads are gathered whole, this herb has been prized for centuries as a cooling, fire-clearing herb used in herbal teas, cooling drinks, congee, and soups. Its nature is bitter, pungent, and slightly cold, making it a classic herb for clearing Liver fire, dispersing stagnation, and softening hardness within the TCM framework.

Key Selling Points

• Traditional cooling food herb (药食同源)
• Whole dried flower spikes, naturally sun-dried
• Prunella vulgaris — Selfheal
• Ideal for herbal tea and cooling drinks
• 500g value pack, freshly stocked

Quality & Sensory

Each batch is naturally sun-dried to preserve the flower spikes' dusky purple-brown color, layered texture, and faint herbal aroma. The spikes remain intact and lightly crisp, with a subtle grassy scent. When simmered or steeped, they yield a pale amber infusion with a mild bitter note and a gentle, lingering sweetness on the finish — a hallmark of well-dried Selfheal.

Technical Specifications

Usage Scenarios

• Herbal tea and cooling drinks
• Congee and grain porridge
• Chinese-style soup and broth
• Seasonal summer refreshment
• Blended herbal beverage base

Traditional Uses

In folk herbal practice, Xia Ku Cao is simmered into cooling teas and summer drinks, often paired with chrysanthemum, honeysuckle, or mulberry leaf for a refreshing infusion. It is also added to congee and light soups as a gentle seasonal ingredient, and appears in traditional cooling formulas prepared during the warmer months. As a daily tea, it is brewed alone or blended with other cooling herbs for a mildly bitter, clean-tasting cup.

FAQ Q&A