Forsythia (Lian Qiao), a shrub belonging to the Oleaceae family, is a traditional Chinese medicinal material that often grows in mountainous areas, wild slopes, thickets, or grasslands, and is cultivated in various regions. It is primarily produced in Anze, Shanxi; Lushi, Henan; and Luonan, Shaanxi. The main effects of Forsythia are to clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling and dissipate nodules, and disperse wind-heat. Forsythia has a wide range of applications in medicine, with its roots, stems, leaves, and fruits all being medicinal, but its most significant efficacy is found in its fruits.
1. The Value of Forsythia(1) Forsythia Fruits
The fruits of Forsythia contain a large amount of forsythoside, coumarin, oleanolic acid, saponins, and vitamin P. The main effects include clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and dissipating nodules, and dispersing wind-heat, commonly used to treat symptoms such as carbuncles, lymphatic nodules, and external wind-heat diseases, as well as the initial stages of warm diseases. Other effects include treating painful and difficult urination caused by damp-heat obstruction.
1. Varieties
Forsythia can be divided into green forsythia (Qing Qiao) and mature forsythia (Lao Qiao), with different medicinal properties. Green forsythia is harvested in early autumn when the fruits are immature and still green, resulting in dried fruits that are mostly uncracked, with a greenish-brown surface and fewer protruding gray spots. They are hard, contain many seeds, and are yellow-green and slender with wings on one side. Mature forsythia is harvested when the fruits are fully ripe and yellow, and the shells crack open. (The left image is green forsythia, and the right image is mature forsythia.)
Green forsythia is harvested in early September when the fruit skin is still green and immature, briefly boiled in boiling water or steamed for about 0.5 hours, then dried. Mature forsythia is harvested in early October when the fruits are fully ripe and yellow, and the shells crack open, then dried and the seeds and impurities are screened out. It is generally believed that green forsythia, being initially green, has a stronger ability to clear heat and detoxify; mature forsythia is lighter and disperses heat to the surface, effectively dispersing wind-heat.
2. Methods of Consumption
- Direct consumption: Sliced or powdered, it can be eaten with pastries, jams, noodles, or meat dishes.
- Stewed: Ground and stewed with chicken, goji berries, and Cordyceps, it can nourish blood, boost energy, and dispel dampness.
- Infused: Ground and steeped in boiling or warm water, it can be consumed as a tea to clear the liver and detoxify, nourishing and protecting the liver.
- Decoction: Sliced and boiled with chicken or combined with honeysuckle, lily, and longan until the broth thickens, it can nourish blood, support the liver, awaken the mind, and enhance immunity, primarily serving as a liver and kidney tonic.
(2) Forsythia Flowers
Forsythia flowers are bitter and slightly cold, entering the lung, heart, and small intestine meridians, with effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and dissipating nodules. They are mainly used to treat external wind-heat, heat sinking into the heart, and carbuncles, alleviating various adverse symptoms caused by excessive internal heat. They can also be used to treat breast swelling and pain, while also having beautifying effects.
1. Usage Methods
- Infusion and decoction: Can be directly steeped in water for drinking, effective in clearing internal heat and toxins, but the effective components are limited in infusion, so decoction is recommended.
- Combined use: Can be combined with honeysuckle, platycodon, mint, bamboo leaves, licorice, schizonepeta, and fermented soybeans to prepare Yin Qiao San, which has cooling and soothing effects, clearing heat and detoxifying.
- Topical application: Pounded and applied externally, it can treat mastitis and breast swelling and pain, and also has beautifying effects, helping to lighten facial spots and wrinkles, making the skin more hydrated.
2. Distinction between Forsythia Flowers and Forsythia Suspensa Flowers
Forsythia flowers bloom in March and April, usually solitary or in clusters of 2 to several flowers in leaf axils, blooming before the leaves. The calyx is green, with lobes that are long oval or oval-shaped, with blunt or sharp tips, and the edges are hairy, nearly equal in length to the corolla tube; the corolla is yellow, with 4 petals, and the lobes are obovate or long oval.
(3) Forsythia Stems and Leaves, Heart
The stems and leaves of Forsythia can clear heat from the heart and lungs, alleviating symptoms such as oral ulcers, tongue tip pain, and cough. They are usually harvested in summer and autumn and can be directly steeped in water for drinking. The heart of Forsythia can be combined with the hearts of gardenia and lotus to prepare San Xin Tang, which can relieve excessive heart and liver fire and is used to treat shingles.
2. Lushi, Sanmenxia – Forsythia of the Highest Quality
The Forsythia from Sanmenxia, particularly from Lushi, saw a total production of over 3,000 tons in 2022, accounting for one-fourth to one-third of the national total production, making it one of the top ten medicinal material production counties in the country. Lushi Forsythia, also known as empty shell, commonly referred to as yellow flower branch, is a deciduous shrub. Lushi Forsythia is characterized by its proper color, large petals, thick shells, and excellent quality, with high forsythoside content and alcohol extractives, rich in vitamin P, superior to other similar varieties. It has received “National Geographical Indication Protection” and “National Geographical Indication Product” certification. On September 29, 2020, Lushi County was designated as an advantageous area for Lushi Forsythia by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, among others. Since ancient times, Lushi has had a tradition of collecting, processing, and using Forsythia, with records of Forsythia in the Lushi County Chronicle during the Guangxu period. During the planned economy period, Lushi Forsythia was exported abroad. After the reform and opening up, to protect Lushi Forsythia resources, the state listed Lushi Forsythia seeds and seedlings as prohibited export products and allocated funds to support Lushi in developing artificial cultivation and nurturing wild resources. The light conditions at 34 degrees north latitude, the diverse and complex climate of the Qinba Mountains, abundant clean water, and the brown soil structure promote the accumulation of effective components in Forsythia, resulting in large fruits, round bodies, thick shells, proper color, high effective component content, and high medicinal value. In addition to the Forsythia “fruit,” Lushi County has also fully developed the value of Forsythia “flowers” and “leaves,” expanding and lengthening the Forsythia industry chain. At the same time, Lushi County actively developed Forsythia tea, which received new resource food certification in 2019.
Source: Sanmenxia City Science and Technology Information Research Institute