Safflower … Classic Formulas
Hong Hua · Flos Carthami
Primary Actions
- Invigorates Blood and dispels stasis ... Hong Hua is one of the classic flowers for dark clots, fixed pain, and menstrual obstruction.
- Unblocks menstruation and alleviates pain ... dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, and postpartum abdominal pain are central traditional uses.
- Reduces swelling and relieves traumatic injury ... bruising, contusion, and persistent stasis pain are common non-gynecologic indications.
- Moves the channels without the heavy harshness of stronger blood-breaking substances ... this makes it versatile but still safety-relevant.
Classic Formulas
- Tao Hong Si Wu Tang ... classic blood-stasis and menstrual formula using Hong Hua with Tao Ren.
- Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang ... famous chest-stasis formula where Hong Hua helps move constrained Blood.
- Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang and trauma-oriented formulas ... used when channel stasis causes persistent pain.
Classical Text References
- Traditional herbology consistently places Hong Hua among the principal Blood-invigorating flowers for menstruation, trauma, and fixed stasis pain.
- Its warm moving nature explains both its usefulness and its clear pregnancy caution.