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Sweet Chrysanthemum

감국 (甘菊花) · Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.
Exterior-releasing, eye-brightening herb Neutral Sweet Liver, Lung
NatureNeutral
TasteSweet
MeridiansLiver, Lung
Part usedFlower
FamilyAsteraceae
CategoryExterior-releasing, eye-brightening herb
Find by concern: DizzinessHeadacheRed eyesDry eyes

Overview

Chrysanthemum flower tea is a familiar autumn drink in Korea, and the Donguibogam treats the flower as a medicine for dizziness, headache, and tired eyes. Its most striking contribution is a warning about look-alikes: among the many chrysanthemums, only the sweet, small-flowered, yellow cultivated kind is genuine; a bitter wild flower was explicitly excluded, with the saying that "sweet chrysanthemum prolongs life, wild chrysanthemum purges a person." It also records which part to pick in which month, from root in the first month to flower in the ninth.

In the Donguibogam

東醫
寶鑑
性平, 味甘, 無毒. 安腸胃, 利五脉, 調四肢. 主風眩頭痛. 養目血, 止淚出, 淸利頭目, 療風濕痺.
Source: Donguibogam, Tangaek-pyeon (Herbology volume)
TranslationIts nature is neutral, its taste sweet, and it is non-toxic. It calms the intestines and stomach, benefits the five pulses, and harmonizes the four limbs. It mainly treats wind-type dizziness and headache. It nourishes the eyes and blood, stops tearing, clears and benefits the head and eyes, and treats wind-damp painful obstruction.

Traditional uses recorded in the Donguibogam

  • Clears and benefits head and eyes
  • Eases wind-type dizziness and headache
  • Nourishes the eyes
  • Calms the intestines and stomach

Traditional applications recorded in the classical text

  • Dizziness and headache
  • Tired, watery or reddened eyes
  • Daily autumn flower tea

Traditional preparation

Flowers picked in the 9th lunar month and shade-dried; steeped as tea or decocted. Judge the flower by taste: sweet is medicinal, bitter is not.

This describes traditional preparation recorded in the classics, not a recommendation for use today. DonguiHub does not provide dosage guidance — consult a qualified professional before using any herb.

Cautions

Caution: The Donguibogam stresses that only the sweet cultivated flower is medicine — the bitter wild chrysanthemum (苦薏) is recorded as a blood-breaking, purging material and must not be substituted. Wild-picked flowers should never be assumed to be the same. Consult a professional for medicinal use.
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Frequently asked questions

Is the chrysanthemum in tea the same as the medicinal one?

Only the sweet, small-flowered, yellow cultivated kind counts. The Donguibogam explicitly rejects bitter wild chrysanthemum as medicine, so not every chrysanthemum flower qualifies.

What does "sweet chrysanthemum prolongs life, wild chrysanthemum purges" mean?

It is a classical saying quoted in the text to warn against confusing the two: the sweet cultivated flower was valued as a gentle tonic-type herb, while the small, sharp-smelling, green-stemmed wild flower was said to loosen the bowels.

Does white chrysanthemum count too?

The text records white chrysanthemum (白菊花) as a separate sub-entry with the same wind-dizziness use and the added note that it keeps the hair from turning white.

Sources