Roots and rhizomesHemostaticSanguisorbae Radix

Di Yu (Longleaf Garden Burnet Root)

A practical guide to Di Yu: 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 29, 2026

Quick Facts

Latin Name	Sanguisorbae Radix
Chinese Name & Pinyin	地榆 · Di Yu
Medicinal Part	Roots and rhizomes
The item	Di Yu is the dried root of the garden burnet of the rose family; a charred version is made for stronger astringing. Huai Hua, pagoda tree flower, is not this herb. It usually goes into decoctions and external washes.
Nature and channels	Bitter, sour, astringent, cold. Enters the Liver and Large Intestine. It astrings bleeding, resolves toxin, and closes sores.
Pharmacopoeia line	Astrings and stops bleeding, resolves toxin and closes sores. Used for bloody stool, hemorrhoid bleeding, uterine bleeding, blood in the urine, carbuncles and sores, and minor burns.
Pattern cues	Bloody stool. Hemorrhoid bleeding. Uterine bleeding. Weeping skin ulcers. Minor burns.
In this article	Di Yu versus Huai Hua. Closing sores versus cooling blood. Why the charred form is stronger. Why cold-deficiency bleeding is a caution. Why dysentery needs a clinic. Who should skip it.

What Is Di Yu?

Di Yu (地榆; Dì Yú; Latin: Sanguisorba officinalis; English: garden burnet root) in the current pharmacopoeia is the dried root of a perennial herb of the rose family, dug up in spring before sprouting or in autumn after the stems and leaves wither, trimmed of rootlets and earth, and sun-dried; a charred version is also made, which astrings bleeding more strongly. It is bitter, sour, and astringent, cold in nature, enters the Liver and Large Intestine channels, and its core actions are to astringe and stop bleeding, and to resolve toxin and close sores. It usually goes into decoctions and external washes. The usual amount is 10–15 g. It needs no special preparation in a decoction and may be soaked and simmered with the other herbs. External use is a cooled decoction dabbed on as a wet compress for minor burns and weeping skin ulcers.

It is not Huai Hua. Pagoda tree flower is slightly cold and only bitter, cools blood and stops bleeding while clearing liver fire, suiting hemorrhoid bleeding paired with headache and red eyes, while Di Yu is bitter, sour, and astringent, holds the blood, and also closes skin sores and burns. It is not for cold-deficiency bleeding. Pale blood with cold limbs and loose stools, or a pale watery sore that will not close, is a poor match. Dysentery with pus and blood needs a clinic first. Use caution in pregnancy and with anticoagulant or iron medicines.

It is used most often for three patterns:

Lower burner heat bleeding: bloody stool, hemorrhoid bleeding, uterine bleeding, blood in the urine
Skin sores, weeping ulcers, and minor burns that heal slowly
Damp-heat dysentery with abdominal pain, urgent stool, and pus and blood — seek care

Bitter, sour, and astringent, cold in nature, it is not a daily “bleeding and burn root” to keep using. Holding the blood on a cold-deficiency pattern locks in the cold and delays healing.

When damp-heat in the lower burner forces the blood out of its vessels, or heat-toxin rots the skin, bloody stool, hemorrhoid bleeding, weeping ulcers, and minor burns are common. Di Yu is bitter, sour, astringent, and cold. It astrings bleeding, clears toxin, and closes the sores, which is why it appears in Di Yu San (Sanguisorba Powder)–type formulas and Di Yu Shao Yao Tang (Sanguisorba and Peony Decoction)–type formulas. It holds more than it warms. A cold weak lower burner with pale blood and cold limbs, with no heat, gets worse the more it is added.

Di Yu is not a catch-all bleeding or burn root. In cold-deficiency bleeding or pale watery sores, in pregnancy, or with anticoagulant or iron medicines, using it alone is a poor match. Raw or charred, and whether it belongs in a formula, should be decided by a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner after pattern diagnosis.

Di Yu: Materia Medica Profile

Identification & Quality Standard

Sanguisorbae Radix

Botanical Origin

The dried root of Sanguisorba officinalis L.(Rosaceae).

Production Regions

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and northeast areas.

Quality Requirements

Superior medicinal material is hard, thick, with red fractured surface.

Macroscopic Features

Cylindrical, slightly twisted curved, 18~22cm long, 0.5~2cm diameter. Sometimes the lateral roots or scars of lateral roots can be seen. Externally brown with obvious longitudinal wrinkles. Apex has cylindrical rhizome or remnants. Firm texture and slightly brittle; fractured surface is smooth, slightly powdery. Horizontal cut surface has obvious cambium, cortex is pale yellow, xylem is brownish-yellow or pink, obviously arranged in radial pattern. faint odor; slightly bitter and astringent taste.

Main Regions and Quality Identification

Traditional materia medica and industry experience value the northern producing regions — such as Northeast and North China — though actual quality also depends on variety, harvest time, processing, and storage. Good-quality Di Yu root is cylindrical and slightly curved, with a brown to dark-brownish-purple surface and longitudinal wrinkles; the texture is hard and brittle; the cross-section is fairly even, pinkish or pale yellow; the odor and taste are slightly bitter. The raw and processed forms differ clearly: raw Di Yu is mostly sliced with a yellow-white or pale-brown cross-section, leaning toward cooling the blood to stop bleeding and resolving toxin to close sores; Di Yu Tan has a charred-black surface and brownish interior, leaning toward converging to stop bleeding. The common look-alike is other plants of the same genus — note the difference to avoid misuse.

Traditional Properties & Historical Lineage

Nature, Flavour & Channel Tropism

Bitter, Sour, Astringent; Slightly coldLiverLarge Intestine

1. Records in Classic Materia Medica

Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing: lists it as a middle-grade herb — "treats the spasmodic pain of women in childbirth, the seven injuries, leukorrhea and the five kinds of discharge; stops pain, removes malignant flesh, stops sweating, and treats metal-inflicted wounds."
Ming Yi Bie Lu: adds that it "stops pus and blood, all fistulas, malignant sores, and heat sores; repairs severed injuries; treats postpartum internal congestion; and can be made into an ointment for metal-inflicted wounds."
Xin Xiu Ben Cao: notes it "treats the twelve diseases of leukorrhea."
Ben Cao Gang Mu: summarizes that it "clears lower-jiao heat and treats the blood-patterns of the stool and urine."
De Pei Ben Cao: states it "enters the foot jue-yin, shao-yin, and yang-ming channels," and that "it works well with Fa (charred hair) but avoids Mai Dong."

2. How Views of Its Nature Changed

Different physicians saw it somewhat differently. Early physicians mostly used it for women's postpartum and metal-wound bleeding and sores, leaning toward converging to stop bleeding and resolving toxin to close sores. Later physicians emphasized its clearing of lower-jiao damp-heat, using it for damp-heat diarrhea-dysentery and blood in the stool. Still others pointed out its cold nature — people with deficiency-cold bleeding or sores should not use it alone — stressing the limit of its scope and that it is not a universal herb.

Core Efficacies & Traditional Applications

Traditional Functions

Cools blood and stops bleeding, resolves toxin and astringes sores.

1. First Direction: Converging to Stop Bleeding

Traditional action: reduce bleeding through the astringent-securing quality — commonly used for all kinds of bleeding patterns.
Typical signs: blood in the stool, hemorrhoid bleeding, uterine bleeding, and blood in the urine — especially bleeding from lower-jiao damp-heat or blood-heat, with bright-red blood or damp-heat signs (such as sticky stools and a burning anus).
Usual combinations: often paired with blood-cooling, bleeding-stopping or damp-heat-clearing herbs — such as Huai Hua and Ce Bai Ye — to strengthen the bleeding-stopping and lower-jiao clearing effect.
Who should not self-use: those with deficiency-cold bleeding (pale-red blood, with fear of cold, cold limbs, and loose stools) — to avoid aggravating the deficiency-cold symptoms.

2. Second Direction: Resolving Toxin and Closing Sores

Traditional action: clear heat-toxin and converge the sore opening — for skin sores, scalds, and similar problems.
Typical signs: red, swollen skin, ulcers with exudate, or the local redness, swelling, and pain after a mild scald, with wounds that are hard to heal.
Usual combinations: mostly external — can be applied alone as a sprinkled powder, or combined with heat-clearing, toxin-resolving herbs such as Jin Yin Hua and Huang Bai to strengthen the toxin-resolving, sore-closing effect.
Who should not self-use: those with deficiency-cold sores (pale wound surface, thin, clear pus, long unhealed) — to avoid converging the evil and affecting wound healing.

3. Classic Pairing: Di Yu With Huai Hua

The common herb pair is Di Yu with Huai Hua. Di Yu leans toward converging to stop bleeding and resolving toxin to close sores; Huai Hua leans toward cooling the blood to stop bleeding and clearing liver fire. Together they strengthen the lower-jiao clearing and bleeding-stopping effect — suiting the blood-in-stool and hemorrhoid-bleeding patterns of lower-jiao damp-heat or blood-heat. This pair needs a practitioner's pattern diagnosis; those with deficiency-cold bleeding should not take it.

Modern Research

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

1. Main Chemical Constituents

Detected constituents include tannins (such as Di Yu tannin and gallic acid), triterpenoid saponins (such as sanguisorbin I and II), flavonoids, and volatile constituents. In vitro experiments observed that some constituents have some inhibitory effect on common skin pathogens; animal experiments observed that the extract shortens bleeding time in animals. Human clinical research on Di Yu is still limited, and no clear conclusion on its effect in people has yet been reached.

2. Current Research Directions

Current research focuses on the antibacterial and hemostatic potential of its constituents — but most work is still at the in vitro or animal-experiment stage. Experiments observed that the tannin constituents may relate to the traditional converging-to-stop-bleeding action, but the specific effect of this in people still needs more research to verify.

3. Limitations of Current Research

Lab results are not clinical efficacy — in vitro and animal results cannot be directly equated with the effect of using Di Yu in people.
Extracts and monomers are not the same as traditional decoction pieces — the strength and safety differ between dose forms.
Doses and preparation methods vary between studies — results are hard to compare directly.
A single component does not define the whole herb — Di Yu's action is the result of many components together; one component's effect cannot fully represent the whole herb's value.

Comparing Similar Herbs

1. What They Share

Di Yu and Huai Hua share:

Both have stopping bleeding as a main action — commonly used for lower-jiao bleeding patterns.
Both are used for heat-clearing-related regulation, appearing in similar formula or food-therapy scenes.
Both need constitution and dose care — those with deficiency-cold should use them cautiously.

2. The Key Differences: Di Yu vs. Huai Hua

Nature and flavors: Di Yu is cold with bitter-astringent flavors, entering the liver and large intestine channels — characterized by converging and clearing-draining; Huai Hua is slightly cold with a bitter flavor, entering the liver and large intestine channels — characterized by clearing liver fire and cooling the blood. Both are cold-natured, but Di Yu's astringent-converging action is more obvious while Huai Hua's draining action stands out more.
Focus: Di Yu is better at converging to stop bleeding and resolving toxin to close sores — besides bleeding, often used externally for skin sores and scalds; Huai Hua is better at cooling the blood to stop bleeding — especially effective for blood in the stool and hemorrhoid bleeding — and also clears liver fire, usable for the headache and red eyes of liver fire rising.
Qi tendency: Di Yu converges and clears — reducing bleeding by astringing and removing the lower-jiao damp-heat evil by draining; Huai Hua clears and cools the blood — regulating qi by clearing liver fire and cooling the blood, with a weaker converging action.
Best fit: Di Yu suits bleeding with lower-jiao damp-heat (such as sticky stools and a burning anus) or red, swollen skin sores; Huai Hua suits bleeding with liver fire (such as headache, red eyes, and irritability) — the accompanying symptoms clearly differ.
Not suitable: Di Yu is not for deficiency-cold bleeding (pale blood, fear of cold, cold limbs) or deficiency-cold sores (pale wound, thin pus); Huai Hua is not for spleen-stomach cold (abdominal pain, loose stools) or yin-deficiency fire-flourishing without real heat — both relate to cold-leaning constitutions, but the specific accompanying symptoms differ.
Use scenes: Di Yu is often used externally for mild scalds and skin ulcers, or in combination with other herbs for blood in the stool and uterine bleeding; Huai Hua is often taken internally for blood in the stool and hemorrhoid bleeding, or with other liver-fire-clearing herbs for headache and red eyes — the two differ by external-versus-internal emphasis and the specific symptoms they target.

3. One-Sentence Summary

Simply put, Di Yu leans toward converging to stop bleeding and resolving toxin to close sores, whereas Huai Hua leans toward cooling the blood to stop bleeding and clearing liver fire. Both can be used for lower-jiao bleeding regulation, but they are not interchangeable.

Classical Formulas Containing Di Yu

Classic Formula 1: Di Yu San (Burnet Powder)

Combination logic: Di Yu is the lord — using its converging-to-stop-bleeding and lower-jiao-clearing actions for bleeding from lower-jiao damp-heat or blood-heat; with Huang Qin and Huang Lian it clears damp-heat; Zhi Zi cools the blood and stops bleeding; Qian Cao strengthens the bleeding-stopping effect. The herbs work together — clearing the lower-jiao damp-heat while converging to stop bleeding, resolving the co-existing bleeding and damp-heat. Di Yu alone cannot cover the coordination of clearing and converging — other herbs are needed.

Traditional use: traditionally for blood in the stool and hemorrhoid bleeding from intestinal heat and lower-jiao damp-heat, as well as dysentery with pus and blood.

Modern note: modern clinical use requires a doctor's pattern diagnosis and standard care; do not self-apply just because the formula name relates to an intestinal condition.

Classic Formula 2: Di Yu Shao Yao Tang (Burnet-Peony Decoction)

Combination logic: Di Yu is the lord — focusing on converging to stop bleeding and clearing damp-heat; with Shao Yao it nourishes and harmonizes the blood and relaxes urgency to stop pain; Dang Gui activates the blood and harmonizes the ying; Mu Xiang regulates the qi and removes stagnation. The herbs work together — for the abdominal pain and pus-blood stools of damp-heat dysentery, both stopping the bleeding and regulating the intestinal qi. Di Yu alone cannot cover the qi-blood regulation and the intestinal qi adjustment — other herbs are needed.

Traditional use: traditionally for damp-heat dysentery — shown as abdominal pain, tenesmus, and pus-and-blood stools.

Modern note: modern clinical use requires a doctor's pattern diagnosis and standard care; do not self-apply just because the formula name relates to an intestinal condition.

Formulas vs. Single Herbs

A formula is many herbs working together — through the lord-minister-assistant-emissary combination it achieves an overall regulating effect; a single herb cannot simply replicate a full formula's effect. The formula's doses and combinations are holistic — the dose ratio of different herbs directly affects the formula's effect, and a single herb's dose cannot reach the formula's synergy. The common misunderstanding: that because a herb works inside a formula, taking it alone will work the same way. So don't build your own formula from online articles; if you need a related formula, consult a professional physician.

Diet & Daily Home Use

1. Home Porridge and External Use

Porridge — Di Yu Ma Chi Xian Zhou: raw Di Yu 10 g (medicinal slice), Ma Chi Xian 15 g, Jing Mi 50 g. First decoct the Di Yu and purslane in water for 20 minutes, remove the dregs and take the liquid, add the rice, and cook into a thin porridge. Suited to mild lower-jiao damp-heat — pus-and-blood stools and a burning anus — or as an auxiliary for summer damp-heat diarrhea. Not for those with a deficiency-cold constitution (fear of cold, cold limbs, loose stools without heat). Suggested: 1–2 times a week; not for long-term continuous use.

External wet compress — Di Yu: raw Di Yu 15 g. Decoct in water and take the liquid; use clean gauze soaked in the liquid to apply a wet compress to a mild scald or a red, swollen skin ulcer. Suited to local regulation of mild scalds and small skin ulcers. Not for those with deficiency-cold sores (pale wound surface, thin pus). Suggested: 15–20 minutes per application, 1–2 times a day; stop once the symptoms ease.

2. Decoction and Processing Differences

The difference between raw and processed forms: raw Di Yu leans toward cooling the blood to stop bleeding and resolving toxin to close sores — fitting blood-heat bleeding or heat-toxin sores; Di Yu Tan leans toward converging to stop bleeding — fitting heavier bleeding. At home, generally soak the Di Yu 30 minutes first, then decoct in water 20 minutes — no special handling, and no pre-boiling, late addition, or bagging. Different forms cannot be converted directly — the medicinal slice dose and the food-therapy ingredient dose differ; do not confuse them.

3. Dosage and Course

The common dose range in traditional prescriptions is 10–15 g; for external use, adjust the dose to the wound size. The difference between food therapy and medicinal use: the food-therapy dose of Di Yu is smaller and only auxiliary — it cannot replace medicinal treatment. Long-term continuous use is not advised: a regulating course generally does not exceed 1 week; stop once the symptoms ease. Special groups should consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

Contraindications & Safety Warnings

1. Who Should Avoid It

Deficiency-cold bleeding (pale-red blood, with fear of cold, cold limbs, loose stools) and deficiency-cold sores (pale wound, thin, clear pus, long unhealed) — not for Di Yu.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding — use with caution; consult a doctor before deciding.
Children and the elderly — reduce the dose; do not self-administer.
Liver or kidney impairment — use under a doctor's guidance to avoid adding burden to the organs.
Allergy to Rosaceae (rose-family) plants — an allergic reaction to Di Yu may occur; avoid use.
Those on anticoagulant or blood-pressure treatment — consult a doctor before use.

2. Interactions and Diet Notes

The tannin constituents of Di Yu may affect the absorption of some drugs — such as anticoagulants and iron supplements — possibly lowering their effect; when used with blood-pressure and blood-sugar medications, monitor the relevant indicators to avoid affecting the drug action. There is no sufficient evidence for a general "food clash" between ordinary foods, but certain herbs can interact with specific drugs — anyone on medication should consult a doctor or pharmacist first; do not combine on your own.

3. Adverse Reactions and Overdose Risk

Overdose may cause gastrointestinal discomfort — nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea; long-term large amounts may worsen deficiency-cold symptoms, such as fear of cold and loose stools. If marked discomfort, allergy signs (rash, itching, breathing difficulty), persistent vomiting, altered consciousness, or rapidly worsening symptoms appear, stop at once and seek medical care.

Frequently Asked Questions About Di Yu

What is Di Yu? Are Bai Ji and Huai Hua the same?

Di Yu (地榆) is the dried root of Sanguisorba officinalis or Sanguisorba officinalis var. longifolia (Sanguisorbae Radix), a common Chinese herb centered on cooling the blood and stopping bleeding, detoxifying and constricting sores. Bai Ji astringes and stops bleeding, leaning to generating flesh. Huai Hua cools the blood and stops bleeding, leaning to intestinal wind. The three cannot be interchanged by equal weight. Write Di Yu. Use caution in Spleen-Stomach deficiency cold.

What is the composition and traditional use of Di Yu?

Pharmacopoeial name Di Yu, Latin Sanguisorba officinalis. Bitter, sour and astringent, slightly cold; enters the Liver and Large Intestine channels. It acts to cool the blood and stop bleeding, detoxify and constrict sores. It is used for bloody stool, hemorrhoidal bleeding, bloody dysentery, flooding and spotting, burns, and abscesses and sores. Cools the blood, stops bleeding and constricts sores.

How do you choose raw versus prepared? Can Bai Ji replace it?

Sliced and used raw or charred. Bai Ji leans to generating flesh without specialized blood-cooling; it cannot replace the formula by equal weight. Commercial products follow regulated processing; do not self-modify.

What is the usual dosage? Can it be drunk daily as a bleeding-stopping tea?

Decocted, 9-15 g. Modern use requires a practitioner to name the dose. It is not a four-season “sanguisorba tea.” Spleen-Stomach deficiency cold only injures further. Bleeding needs a practitioner to name a short course; it does not replace assessment.

What are the contraindications? Can it be used in pregnancy?

Not suitable for Spleen-Stomach deficiency cold. Pregnancy requires practitioner assessment. Stop if loose stool or abdominal pain appears. Massive bleeding or high fever need immediate medical care.

Can Di Yu cool the blood and stop bleeding, detoxify and constrict sores?

It can help bloody stool, hemorrhoidal bleeding, bloody dysentery, flooding and spotting, burns, and abscesses and sores. It cools the blood and stops bleeding, detoxifies and constricts sores—not a specific for every bleeding or every burn.

Can Di Yu be drunk daily as a bleeding-stopping or sore-constricting tea?

Blood-heat bleeding may enter a short formula; Spleen-Stomach deficiency cold only injures further. “Sanguisorba must stop bleeding” does not replace assessment. Cooling the blood and stopping bleeding, detoxifying and constricting sores should be named by a practitioner with form and dose.

How do you choose among Di Yu, Bai Ji, Huai Hua, Ce Bai Ye and Xiao Ji?

Di Yu cools the blood and stops bleeding while detoxifying and constricting sores, leaning to bloody stool and burns. Bai Ji astringes and stops bleeding, leaning to generating flesh. Huai Hua cools the blood and stops bleeding, leaning to intestinal wind. Ce Bai Ye cools the blood and stops bleeding, leaning to various bleeding. Xiao Ji cools the blood and stops bleeding, leaning to blood in urine. Cooling the blood and constricting sores favor Di Yu; generating flesh favors Bai Ji; intestinal wind favors Huai Hua; various bleeding favors Ce Bai Ye; blood in urine favors Xiao Ji. They may be referenced after pattern differentiation; Spleen-Stomach deficiency cold forbids large Di Yu.

How is Di Yu commonly modified? What is the representative use?

Depends on the pattern. Bloody stool may add Huai Hua; burns may be used externally. Write Di Yu; do not replace the blood-cooling action with an equal weight of Bai Ji.

How do you choose and store Di Yu?

Choose regulated Chinese medicinal materials with intact roots. Moldy, damp, or abnormal-smelling lots are discarded. Store cool and dry. Buy “Di Yu”; do not replace cooling the blood and stopping bleeding, detoxifying and constricting sores with an equal weight of Bai Ji or Huai Hua.

Related Products

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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.