About This Herb*
Traditional Chinese Medicine background and properties
Herb Description*
Qian Hu (Peucedanum root) is a widely used herb for respiratory complaints. It helps guide Qi downward and clear phlegm from the lungs, making it particularly helpful for coughs with thick or yellowish phlegm, chest congestion, and wheezing. It also gently disperses Wind-Heat, so it is often included in formulas for colds and flu that affect the lungs.
Herb Category*
Main Actions*
- Descends Qi and Transforms Phlegm
- Disperses Wind-Heat
- Resolves Phlegm and Stops Cough
How These Actions Work*
'Directs Qi downward and transforms phlegm' is Qian Hu's primary action. In TCM, the Lungs are supposed to send Qi and fluids downward (a function called 'descending and purifying'). When the Lungs lose this ability, Qi rebels upward causing cough, wheezing, and chest fullness, while fluids congeal into phlegm. Qian Hu's bitter taste drives things downward and its pungent taste disperses and moves stagnation, making it especially effective for cough with copious, thick, yellowish phlegm and a feeling of fullness in the chest. It is commonly paired with herbs like apricot seed (Xing Ren), Perilla seed (Su Zi), or mulberry bark (Sang Bai Pi) to strengthen this descending action.
'Disperses Wind-Heat' is Qian Hu's secondary action. Although its dispersing power is milder than dedicated exterior-releasing herbs, its pungent taste allows it to gently open the body's surface and expel Wind-Heat pathogens that have invaded the Lungs. This makes it useful in the early stages of a cold or flu with fever, headache, and cough with sticky phlegm. For this purpose it is often combined with mint (Bo He), burdock seed (Niu Bang Zi), or balloon flower root (Jie Geng). Classical sources note that despite being slightly cool in nature, Qian Hu can also be combined with warm, pungent herbs like Perilla leaf to treat Wind-Cold cough, as seen in the formula Xing Su San.
Patterns Addressed*
In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony that reveal what's out of balance in the body. Qian Hu is traditionally associated with these specific patterns.
The following describes this herb's classification within Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and is provided for educational purposes only.
Why Qian Hu addresses this pattern
Qian Hu is bitter and pungent with a slightly cool thermal nature, entering the Lung channel. Its bitter taste drives Qi downward and dries Dampness, while its cool nature clears Heat. In Phlegm-Heat obstructing the Lungs, hot, thick, sticky phlegm blocks the Lung's descending function, causing cough with yellow phlegm, wheezing, and chest fullness. Qian Hu directly addresses this by descending rebellious Lung Qi and transforming the phlegm that is blocking the airways, while its cool nature helps clear the Heat component that is making the phlegm thick and discolored.
A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs
Cough with thick yellow phlegm that is hard to expectorate
Wheezing and labored breathing from phlegm obstruction
Chest fullness and oppression
Why Qian Hu addresses this pattern
When external Wind-Heat invades the body and lodges in the Lungs, it disrupts the Lung's dispersing and descending functions, causing cough, sore throat, fever, and headache. Qian Hu's pungent taste gently releases the exterior and disperses Wind-Heat, while its descending action restores the Lung's normal downward movement of Qi. Though its exterior-releasing power is milder than dedicated Wind-Heat herbs, Qian Hu uniquely combines surface release with phlegm resolution, making it ideal when the Wind-Heat invasion is accompanied by cough with phlegm.
A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs
Cough with phlegm triggered by an acute respiratory infection
Mild fever with aversion to wind
Headache accompanying the exterior invasion
Nasal congestion with turbid discharge
Why Qian Hu addresses this pattern
When phlegm accumulates in the Lungs and Qi stagnates, the Lung's descending and dispersing functions are compromised, leading to persistent cough, chest oppression, and difficulty breathing. Qian Hu's core strength lies in descending Qi and transforming phlegm simultaneously. Its pungent taste moves stagnant Qi while its bitter taste directs the Qi downward and helps dry excess phlegm. This makes it a key herb when the primary problem is phlegm blocking Qi movement in the chest, regardless of whether the phlegm is hot or cool in nature.
A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs
Chronic cough with copious phlegm
Shortness of breath and chest tightness
A feeling of stuffiness in the chest and diaphragm
TCM Properties*
Slightly Cool
Bitter (苦 kǔ), Acrid / Pungent (辛 xīn)
Root (根 gēn)
This is partial information on the herb's TCM properties. More detailed information is available on the herb's dedicated page
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.