Angelica sinensis / DANG GUI / Chinese Angelica Root

Botanical Name – Angelica sinensis

Chinese Name – DANG GUI

English Name – Chinese Angelica Root

When Chinese angelica is used as a medicinal herb it is mostly known by its Chinese name “Dong Quai”.

Dong quai is a member of the Umbelliferae family and is a fragrant perennial plant which can grow up to 2 meters tall, and produces white flowers in early summer.

Dong quai is native to China and is typically found growing in damp mountain ravines, meadows, river banks, and near the sea.

Angelica sinensis grows in cool high altitude mountains in China, Japan, and Korea. The yellowish brown root of the plant is harvested in Autumn and is a well-known Chinese medicine used for thousands of years.

The root is one ingredient of “four things soup”, a traditionally used woman’s tonic in China. Dong quai is often called “female ginseng” and it is as highly regarded as Panax ginseng.