Astragalus botanical plate

Herb. No. 083 · Fabaceae

RangeFig. atlas
Approximate native range — a teaching atlas, not a survey

Northern Chinese and Mongolian milkvetch steppe.

Native · East Asia

Native Also grown
LegalCautionplant

Astragalus

Astragalus mongholicus

Medicinal herbsHarvest

A northern Chinese milkvetch root simmered for months of recovery — not an acute cold rescue.

Huang qi is a sweet, fibrous root used as a qi tonic in Chinese herbalism, often in soup. Modern extracts are marketed for immune tone. Traditional use is slow and food-like. Immune stimulation is a caution in autoimmune disease and organ transplant.

Flavor

Sweet, beany, faintly licorice — a soup bone of a root, not a tea flower.

Parts used

Root

Helpful

  • A true soup herb
  • Can be grown in a cold garden if you wait for the root

Cautions

  • Years to a decent root
  • Immune modulation is not for everyone

Field assistant

Ask about traditional use, safety, or the law. The assistant will not teach illegal cultivation or give medical orders.

Related symptoms

Harvest this plant

When to cut, how to dry, and how to store it — garden and kitchen crops only.

Open harvest notes