FlowersHemostaticPollen Typhae

Pu Huang (Cattail Pollen)

A practical guide to Pu Huang: what it is, how Traditional Chinese Medicine uses it, the classical formulas it appears in, and who should be careful with it.

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Last reviewed Oct 13, 2026

Quick Facts

Latin NamePollen Typhae
Chinese Name & Pinyin 蒲黃 · Pu Huang
Medicinal PartFlowers
The herbPu Huang is dried cattail pollen, light and yellow. Common forms: raw and charred. Bag-decoct it.
Nature and channelsSweet, neutral. Enters the Liver and Pericardium. Sweetness harmonizes. It enters the blood to stop bleeding and dispel stasis.
Pharmacopoeia lineStops bleeding. Dispels stasis. Treats strangury. Used for vomiting of blood, nosebleed, coughing of blood, flooding, traumatic bleeding, amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea, stabbing epigastric or abdominal pain, trauma swelling, and bloody painful strangury.
Pattern cuesBleeding with clots. Painful or absent periods. Stabbing abdominal pain. Bloody strangury. Dark tongue.
In this articleRaw versus charred Pu Huang. How it differs from Qian Cao, San Qi, and Wu Ling Zhi. Why it is bag-cooked. Pregnancy caution. Who should skip it.

What Is Pu Huang?

Pu Huang (蒲黄; Pú Huáng; Latin: Typhae Pollen; English: cattail pollen) is the dried pollen of Typha angustifolia L., Typha orientalis Presl, or related cattails. In Chinese medicine it both stops bleeding and dispels stasis. It is sweet and neutral, enters the Liver and Pericardium channels, and its core actions are to stop bleeding, dispel stasis, and treat strangury. It can stop and it can move. It is used for bleeding with stasis, stabbing pain, and bloody strangury. In a decoction it must be bag-cooked, or the pollen floats. It is not roadside cattail fluff, and it is not a casual pollen supplement. Raw Pu Huang more strongly moves blood and dispels stasis. Charred Pu Huang more strongly astringes and stops bleeding.

It is used most often for three patterns:

  • Bleeding with stasis — vomiting or nosebleed, coughing of blood, flooding, trauma bleeding that is dark and clotted
  • Static painful periods / stabbing abdominal pain — amenorrhea, traumatic swelling
  • Bloody painful strangury — burning, hesitant urine with blood

The usual decoction dose is 5–10 g, bag-cooked. Use with caution in pregnancy, especially the raw form. Bright-red bleeding with no stasis, or qi failing to hold blood, should not rely on Pu Huang’s moving action alone. Sweet, neutral, and entering the blood, it is not a “hemostatic powder” to mix at home.

When pain is from stasis, or bleeding comes with clots, Pu Huang’s sweetness can stop and transform. With Wu Ling Zhi it is Shi Xiao San. It moves more than it holds. Blood deficiency with no stasis, a pale face, and a weak pulse become weaker if more movement is added.

Pu Huang is not a catch-all for bleeding or stasis. When qi cannot hold blood, or heat makes blood reckless with no stasis, using it alone can consume and stir blood. Raw or charred should be decided by a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner after pattern diagnosis.

Pu Huang Cattail Pollen

Pu Huang: Materia Medica Profile

Identification & Quality Standard

Pollen Typhae

Botanical Origin

The dried pollen of Typha angustifolia L.(Typhaceae)

Production Regions

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Shandong.

Quality Requirements

Superior medicinal material has thin powder, pure, light, fresh yellow, very smooth.

Macroscopic Features

Pollen is a yellow powder. Light in weight, floats in water. Bone-like creamy feeling when mashed, easily stick to the fingers, faint odor, tasteless. Pollen is sub-spherical or elliptical, 17~29μm, externally has reticular lines, smooth edge lines, wavy or gear-like, with a single indistinct hole.

Sourcing and Quality Identification

High-quality pollen is traditionally associated with certain regions, but quality also depends on the species, harvest time, and processing.

  • Main Producing Regions: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Anhui, and Hubei provinces.
  • Appearance: Premium Pu Huang is a fine, bright yellow powder. It feels smooth and slightly slippery when rubbed between the fingers and easily sticks to the skin. It has a faint, grassy scent without any musty or sour odors.
  • Charred vs. Raw: Raw pollen is bright yellow and light, while the charred version (Pu Huang Tan) is dark brown, slightly heavier, and has a faint roasted smell.
  • Common Confusions: It can be confused with Song Hua Fen (Pine Pollen). Pine pollen is lighter in weight, paler yellow, has a milder scent, and often contains tiny pine needle fragments.

Traditional Properties & Historical Lineage

Nature, Flavour & Channel Tropism

Sweet; NeutralLiverPericardium

1. Historical Records in Materia Medica

  • Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing: Ranked it as a "top-tier" herb, noting it treats "cold and heat in the heart, abdomen, and bladder, promotes urination, stops bleeding, and resolves blood stasis."
  • Ming Yi Bie Lu: Added that it "resolves blood stasis, and long-term use makes the body feel light... and delays aging," also mentioning it helps with seminal emission and blood in the urine.
  • Xin Xiu Ben Cao: Explicitly stated that it "breaks up blood and reduces swelling."
  • Ben Cao Gang Mu: Noted that it "cools and invigorates blood, stopping all kinds of pain in the heart and abdomen."
  • De Pei Ben Cao: Highlighted its pairings, noting that with Sheng Di Huang (Rehmannia Root) it treats vomiting/nosebleeds, and with Gan Jiang (Dried Ginger) it treats blood in the stool.

2. Evolution of Medicinal Understanding

Different historical practitioners emphasized different aspects of Pu Huang:

  • Stasis Resolving Focus: Some highlighted its ability to "break up blood," emphasizing its use for pain relief, unblocking meridians, and promoting urination.
  • Bleeding Focus: Others focused on its ability to enter the blood level to "move and stop bleeding," valuing its rare ability to stop bleeding without leaving stagnant blood behind.
  • Important Restriction: Practitioners like those in the Ben Cao Qiu Zhen warned that it should not be used lightly if a patient has blood deficiency without any actual blood stasis. This highlights that it is not a cure-all and requires a precise diagnosis.
Pu Huang Cattail Pollen

Core Efficacies & Traditional Applications

Traditional Functions

Stops bleeding, resolves stasis, frees strangury. Apply to hematemesis, non-traumatic hemorrhage, hemoptysis, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, traumatic bleeding, amenorrhea, dysmenorrheal, abdominal pain, injury swelling and pain, blood strangury with dampness and pain.

1. Primary Focus: Resolving Stasis and Stopping Bleeding

  • Traditional Function: Pu Huang (Cattail Pollen) has the unique ability to both stop abnormal bleeding and clear blood stasis. Crucially, it stops bleeding without causing stagnant blood to pool, avoiding complications.
  • Common Indications: It is commonly used for bleeding caused by blood stasis. Symptoms include heavy menstrual bleeding with dark clots, persistent postpartum bleeding with lower abdominal pain, bruising and swelling from traumatic injuries, or vomiting/urinating blood accompanied by signs of stasis.
  • Common Pairings:
    • For heavy periods with clots: paired with Wu Ling Zhi (Trogopterus Feces).
    • For postpartum bleeding: paired with Yi Mu Cao (Motherwort) and Dang Gui (Angelica Root).
    • For traumatic injuries: paired with Ru Xiang (Frankincense) and Mo Yao (Myrrh).
    • For vomiting or urinating blood: paired with Xiao Ji (Field Thistle) and Bai Mao Gen (Lalang Grass Rhizome).
  • When to Avoid: Do not use for simple bleeding without any signs of blood stasis (e.g., heavy bleeding without clots or pain). Pregnant women should not self-medicate and must consult a professional.

2. Secondary Focus: Promoting Urination and Relieving Stranguria (Urinary Discomfort)

  • Traditional Function: It helps flush out excess "Dampness" and fluid buildup, relieving painful or difficult urination.
  • Common Indications: Used for urinary issues caused by Damp-Heat or blood stasis, such as scanty, dark urine, painful urination, or discomfort from urinary tract infections and stones.
  • Common Pairings: Often paired with Hua Shi (Talcum) and Mu Tong (Akebia Stem) to enhance its diuretic effect. If blood stasis is present, it is combined with Qu Mai (Dianthus) and Bian Xu (Knotweed).
  • When to Avoid: Avoid use if urinary frequency or clear, abundant urine is caused by a "Cold and Deficient Spleen and Stomach," as this herb could worsen cold symptoms.

3. Common Herb Pairings: The Synergistic Duo

A classic TCM pairing is Pu Huang (Cattail Pollen) and Wu Ling Zhi (Trogopterus Feces).

  • Pu Huang excels at stopping bleeding while clearing stasis, whereas Wu Ling Zhi is highly effective at moving blood and relieving pain.
  • Together, they synergize to clear blockages, stop bleeding, and relieve stasis-induced pain (like severe menstrual cramps or trauma). However, this combination requires a precise TCM diagnosis, especially for those with weak digestion.
Pu Huang Cattail Pollen

Modern Research

Modern research offers useful context, but Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribes on whole-pattern diagnosis rather than isolated compounds.

1. Key Chemical Components

Modern analysis shows Pu Huang contains flavonoids, sterols, volatile oils, polysaccharides, and amino acids.

  • Lab Observations: In vitro studies show some flavonoids have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Animal studies suggest the extracts may influence blood coagulation, potentially shortening bleeding and clotting times. However, robust human clinical trials are still limited.

2. Modern Pharmacological Focus

Current research mainly explores:

  • Blood System: Its effects on coagulation and fibrinolysis (blood clotting and breaking down clots).
  • Cardiovascular System: Potential protective effects on blood vessel linings.
  • Anti-inflammatory & Antioxidant Activity: Its potential in reducing inflammation.

3. Limitations of Modern Research

  • Lab vs. Real Life: Results from test tubes or animal models do not directly translate to human clinical efficacy due to complex metabolic differences.
  • Extracts vs. Whole Herbs: Lab studies often use concentrated extracts or single isolated compounds. This is entirely different from how a traditional whole-herb decoction works in the body.
  • Inconsistent Methodologies: Differences in dosages, extraction methods, and administration in various studies make it hard to form a single, unified scientific conclusion.
  • Synergistic Effect: The TCM benefits of Pu Huang come from the synergy of all its compounds working together, not just the isolated action of a single chemical.
Pu Huang Cattail Pollen

Comparing Similar Herbs

1. Shared Traits with Similar Herbs

Pu Huang is frequently compared to Wu Ling Zhi (Trogopterus Feces):

  • Both invigorate blood and resolve blood stasis.
  • Both are used for stasis-related conditions like menstrual cramps, postpartum pain, and physical trauma.
  • Both require careful dosage and are not suitable for everyone.

2. Core Differences

  • Nature and Flavor: Pu Huang is neutral and sweet/acrid, making it very gentle. Wu Ling Zhi is warm and bitter/sweet, making it better suited for "Cold" stasis.
  • Primary Focus: Pu Huang excels at stopping bleeding while clearing stasis. Wu Ling Zhi focuses heavily on stopping pain and breaking up stasis, with much weaker blood-stopping effects.
  • Clinical Presentation: Choose Pu Huang when bleeding is mixed with stasis (e.g., heavy periods with clots, bloody urine). Choose Wu Ling Zhi when sharp, fixed pain is the main issue (e.g., severe cramps, trauma pain) even if there is no active bleeding.

3. A One-Sentence Summary

Pu Huang (Cattail Pollen) is your go-to for clearing stasis to stop bleeding, while Wu Ling Zhi (Trogopterus Feces) is the specialist for clearing stasis to stop pain.

Pu Huang Cattail Pollen

Classical Formulas Containing Pu Huang

Formulas vs. Single Herbs

  • Synergy is Key: A formula is a balanced team. The healing power comes from how the herbs interact, so a single herb cannot simply replicate a full formula's effects.
  • Holistic Balance: The exact dosage and combination in a formula affect the entire body. Never try to mix or alter these formulas at home based on internet articles.

Diet & Daily Home Use

1. Home Herbal Teas and Congees

  • Cattail Pollen and Lotus Node Drink:
    • Ingredients: 3g Pu Huang (Cattail Pollen), 5g Ou Jie (Lotus Node), a pinch of brown sugar.
    • Method: Boil sliced Ou Jie in water for 20 minutes. Use the hot liquid to brew the Pu Huang and brown sugar. Stir well.
    • Best For: Mild menstrual bleeding with clots, or mild urinary discomfort with traces of blood due to stasis.
    • Frequency: 1-2 times a week. Do not use for simple bleeding without stasis.
  • Cattail Pollen and Poria Congee:
    • Ingredients: 3g Pu Huang (Cattail Pollen), 10g Fu Ling (Poria) powder, 50g rice.
    • Method: Cook the rice into a congee. Once cooked, stir in the Pu Huang and Fu Ling powder, then simmer for another 5 minutes.
    • Best For: Lower abdominal discomfort and mild urinary issues caused by Dampness and stasis.

2. Processing Differences and Brewing

  • Raw vs. Charred: Sheng Pu Huang (Raw) is better for clearing stasis and promoting urination. Pu Huang Tan (Charred) is specifically processed to stop bleeding.
  • Brewing Prep: Because it is a fine pollen, it floats on water and can easily burn if boiled directly. In clinical decoctions, it must be wrapped in a small gauze or cheesecloth bag before boiling. For small dietary doses, it can be directly stirred into warm water or tea.

3. Dosage and Usage Cycle

  • Dosage: Clinical doses range from 5g to 10g. For home dietary use, keep it very low (2g to 3g).
  • Cycle: Use only for short periods (no more than 1 week). If symptoms persist, consult a doctor. Pregnant and nursing women must strictly follow medical advice.
Pu Huang Cattail Pollen

Contraindications & Safety Warnings

1. Who Should Avoid It

  • No Stasis: Do not use if you have heavy bleeding without any signs of stasis (no clots, no pain).
  • Cold Digestion: Avoid if you have a weak, cold Spleen/Stomach resulting in frequent, clear urination.
  • Special Populations: Pregnant women should be extremely cautious due to its blood-moving properties. Nursing women, children, and the elderly should only use under medical supervision.
  • Organ Dysfunction: Those with liver or kidney impairment should consult a doctor, as the herb must be metabolized by these organs.

2. Drug Interactions and Dietary Notes

  • Interactions: Because it invigorates blood, Pu Huang can interact with blood thinners (like Warfarin) and antiplatelet drugs (like Aspirin), potentially increasing the risk of bleeding. It may also affect how blood pressure or blood sugar medications are absorbed. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist if you are on prescription meds.

3. Adverse Reactions and Overdose Risks

  • Side Effects: It is generally safe at normal doses. Overuse can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea, or diarrhea. Rare allergic reactions (rash, itching) can occur, especially in those allergic to Typha plants.
  • When to Seek Help: If you experience severe allergic reactions, persistent vomiting, difficulty breathing, or rapid worsening of symptoms, stop use immediately and seek medical attention.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pu Huang

What is Pu Huang? Are Sheng Pu Huang, Chao Pu Huang, Pu Huang Tan and cattail fluff the same?
Official Pu Huang (蒲黄) is the dried pollen of Typha angustifolia, Typha orientalis or allied species. The pharmacopoeial name is Pollen Typhae. It is a yellow fine powder, light and easily airborne. Sheng Pu Huang is slippery: moves Blood, dispels stasis and promotes urination to unblock strangury. Chao Pu Huang is lightly fried: moves Blood with a slight astringency. Pu Huang Tan is fried to brown-black while retaining nature—dedicated to stopping bleeding. Cattail fluff and the spike are not pollen and must not substitute. Sift out filaments. Write Sheng, Chao or Tan Pu Huang; wrap it in the decoction.
What are the TCM properties and traditional uses of Pu Huang?
According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Pu Huang is sweet and neutral, enters the Liver and Pericardium channels, and acts to stop bleeding, dispel stasis and unblock strangury. It is used for hematemesis, epistaxis, hemoptysis, flooding and spotting, traumatic bleeding, amenorrhea and painful menstruation, stabbing epigastric-abdominal pain, swelling and pain from falls, and bloody strangury with astringent pain. Raw moves stasis; charred stops bleeding. Sweet-neutral entering Blood—suited to bleeding with stasis and bloody strangury, not to vacuity heat without stasis or raw use in pregnancy.
How do you choose raw versus charred Pu Huang? Why wrap the decoction?
Amenorrhea, painful menstruation, stabbing chest-abdomen pain, postpartum stasis pain and bloody strangury use Sheng Pu Huang; hematemesis, epistaxis, hemoptysis, flooding and traumatic bleeding use Pu Huang Tan; bleeding amid stasis may use half raw and half charred. The pollen is extremely fine; unwrapped it floats and cannot be strained, so decoct wrapped in cloth. Topically, powder and sprinkle or paste. Charred lots easily re-ignite—extinguish sparks and cool fully before storage.
What is the usual dosage? Can it be used daily to dispel stasis and stop bleeding?
The pharmacopoeial internal dose is 5–10 g, wrapped in decoction; it may also enter pills and powders, with an appropriate amount externally. It is not a daily “Blood-moving powder.” Vacuity heat without stasis and Spleen-deficient loose stool only slip downward further. Stasis pain and bleeding need a practitioner to name raw or charred and wrapping—not a self-made long pollen drink.
What are the contraindications? Can it be used in pregnancy?
Use caution in pregnancy; raw Pu Huang is generally forbidden in pregnancy. The raw pollen can contract the uterus and move Blood, and may disturb the fetus. Labor heat and Yin-deficiency internal heat without stasis are unsuitable. Excess may cause diarrhea. Use caution with pollen allergy. Stop and seek care if bearing-down abdominal pain or heavier bleeding appears.
Can Pu Huang stop bleeding without leaving stasis, and unblock strangury to stop pain?
It can help. Stasis heart-abdomen pain and dysmenorrhea join flying squirrel feces in Shi Xiao San. Bloody strangury joins field thistle, raw rehmannia and talc. Flooding may use raw and charred together. It stops bleeding, dispels stasis and unblocks strangury—not a specific for every hematemesis, every dysmenorrhea or every hematuria. Major hemorrhage and radiating chest pain are emergencies.
Can Pu Huang be taken daily as a pollen, lipid-lowering or period-pain tea?
Pharmacopoeial pollen and wellness “Typha pollen” are not the same use. Stasis pain and bleeding may enter a short formula; vacuity heat without stasis only grows slipperier. “Pu Huang lowers lipids and frees the menses” does not replace cardiology and gynecology. Stopping bleeding and dispelling stasis should name Sheng or Tan Pu Huang, wrapping and a dose.
How do you choose among Pu Huang, Wu Ling Zhi, Qian Cao, San Qi and Xiao Ji?
Cattail pollen is sweet-neutral: stops bleeding, dispels stasis and unblocks strangury—raw moves, charred stops, wrap the decoction. Flying squirrel feces is bitter-sweet-warm: moves Blood to stop pain and transforms stasis to stop bleeding—leaning to Qi-stagnation Blood-stasis stabbing pain, classically paired with Pu Huang as Shi Xiao San. Madder is bitter-cold: cools Blood, transforms stasis and stops bleeding—leaning to Blood heat with stasis. Notoginseng is sweet, slightly bitter and warm: transforms stasis to stop bleeding and disperses swelling to settle pain—suited to internal and external bleeding. Field thistle is sweet-cool: cools Blood to stop bleeding, disperses stasis and resolves toxin—leaning to hematuria and bloody strangury. Stasis pain favors Pu Huang and Wu Ling Zhi; Blood-heat hematemesis and epistaxis favor Qian Cao and Xiao Ji; trauma internal-external bleeding favors San Qi. They may be paired; raw Pu Huang and breaking stasis both need caution in pregnancy.
Which herbs is Pu Huang combined with? What are the representative formulas?
Stasis heart-abdomen pain, dysmenorrhea and postpartum stasis pain join flying squirrel feces in Shi Xiao San; both herbs should be wrapped. Bloody strangury and hematuria join field thistle, lotus node and talc in Xiao Ji Yin Zi-type formulas. Write Sheng Pu Huang or Pu Huang Tan.
How do you choose and store Pu Huang?
Choose bright-yellow fine powder that is light and lubricating, does not sink in water, and has little impurity. Clumped moldy lots, excess filaments and dull color are inferior. Extinguish sparks on Pu Huang Tan, cool fully and confirm no re-ignition before sealing. Store dry against moisture. Buy pharmacopoeial Pu Huang; do not replace it with spike fluff or anonymous pollen.

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Medical Disclaimer — This article is provided for educational purposes only and describes traditional Chinese medicine concepts. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using any herb, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a diagnosed condition.

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Pu Huang (Cattail Pollen): Stop Bleeding, Dispel Stasis, and Unblock Lin