Cogongrass Flower Whole (Imperata Cylindrica)

Cogongrass Flower Whole (Imperata cylindrica) is the dried flowering top of the cogongrass plant, known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as Bái Máo Gēn Huā (白茅根花) when referring specifically to the flower portion. While the rhizome (Bái Máo Gēn) is the more widely used medicinal part, the flower shares many of its cooling, blood-clearing, and damp-heat–relieving properties, with a lighter, more dispersing energetic nature. The flower is sweet, cooling, and gently rising, making it useful for clearing heat, stopping bleeding, promoting urination, and soothing irritability from internal heat.

In TCM, Cogongrass Flower helps cool the blood, stop bleeding, reduce heat in the Lung and Stomach, and promote fluid metabolism. Traditionally, it is used for nosebleeds, vomiting blood, blood in the urine, thirst from heat, hot painful urination, and irritability from heat in the qi or blood levels. Its flower form, being lighter and more surface-oriented, is especially helpful for mild bleeding associated with heat, summer-heat agitation, and dryness-induced upward flaring of heat.

Folk herbal practice often employs Cogongrass Flower in cooling teas, especially during hot seasons, where it helps alleviate thirst, reduce heat, and support urinary comfort. It is also used in gentle infusions for individuals experiencing restlessness, mouth dryness, or mild inflammation from heat accumulation.

Modern analysis of Imperata cylindrica shows that the plant contains flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenoids, and diuretic compounds with documented anti-inflammatory, heat-clearing, hepatoprotective, and hemostatic effects. These properties support its classical use in formulas designed to cool blood heat, soothe urinary discomfort, and promote detoxification through the urinary system.

Each batch of Cogongrass Flower Whole (Imperata cylindrica) is carefully collected and dried to preserve its soft texture, pale color, and lightly cooling aroma. When decocted, it produces a clear, mildly sweet, cooling infusion traditionally used to cool the blood, stop mild bleeding, clear heat, reduce irritability, and promote comfortable urination.