Common Name: Du Huo

General Information

Angelica biserrata is a herbaceous, perennial plant with stout stems 100 - 200cm tall growing from an aromatic taproot up to 15cm long and 1 - 2.5cm wide[].
The plant is an important Chinese herb and is commonly harvested from the wild for local use and for trade.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - eastern and central China

Habitat

Sparse shrubby thickets, damp slopes; at elevations from 1,000 - 1,700 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Angelica biserrata is native to eastern and central China, where it grows in areas with hardyness zones ranging from 8 - 9.
Species in this genus generally grow best in a deep moist fertile soil in dappled shade or full sun[].
Plants are reliably perennial if they are prevented from setting seed[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The roots are widely used as the important traditional Chinese medicine 'du huo' especially as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory in the treatment of rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis[].
The root is analgesic, antiinflammatory, antirheumatic, hypnotic, nervine, sedative and vasodilator[]. It is used in the treatment of the common cold with fever, headache and muscle ache; rheumatic pain, especially of the lower part of the body[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe since the seed only has a short viability[]. Seed can also be sown in the spring, though germination rates will be lower. It requires light for germination[]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in the spring.
The seed can also be sow in situ as soon as it is ripe.