Kew accepts Rhodiola rosea L. in the Crassulaceae. It is a long-lived succulent perennial native across subarctic and subalpine parts of the Northern Hemisphere. In European medicinal references, the assessed drug is the rhizome and root (rhizoma et radix), not the leaves or flowers.

A plant may carry several fleshy green-purple stems, alternate thick lance-shaped leaves with small teeth, and dense terminal heads of small yellow flowers; male and female flowers are generally on separate plants. Mature rhizomes bear stem scars and fine roots. A yellow-brown exterior alone cannot authenticate the species.

NCCIH records a history of Rhodiola use in Russia, Scandinavia, and other parts of Europe; reported traditional purposes include work endurance, fatigue, mood, and adaptation to altitude. These are historical records, not proof that a foraged root treats depression, exhaustion, or altitude illness.

EMA assessed the correct drug as R. rosea rhizome and root and a specific dry extract under the EU traditional-use framework. This profile does not assign Chinese materia-medica properties or a classical formula merely from a commercial Hong Jing Tian label; vernacular names may refer to several Rhodiola species.

The project’s CITES 2026.1 extract contains one specific 2024 comparative row: the exporter reported 6,414 g of term MED (medicine), purpose T (commercial), Appendix II, from Japan to Taiwan; source code O is defined by CITES as pre-Convention specimens, while the Origin field is recorded as XX. This is an exporter-reported quantity in one data row, not the whole market, revenue, or proof of biological origin in Japan. CITES PC27 Doc. 22 separately records China reporting exports of source-Y cultivated specimens from 2023; that statement must not be merged into the 2024 row’s quantity.

The current EMA assessment (2024 revision) is regulatory evidence for a defined preparation

: dry extract DER 1.5–5:1, ethanol 67–70% by volume, in solid oral forms. It is assessed within a traditional-use framework; it is not a clinical finding that every powder, tea, or raw root works. NCCIH concludes that evidence from human research is not sufficiently reliable to determine whether Rhodiola is useful for any health purpose; many studies are low to moderate quality. Differences in species, plant part, extraction ratio, solvent, composition, and quality prevent transferring findings from one standardized extract to raw herb or an unlabeled product.

NCCIH describes Rhodiola as possibly safe for up to 12 weeks under studied conditions; reported side effects include dizziness, headache, insomnia, dry mouth, or excessive saliva. It also notes reported interactions with losartan, a medicine for high blood pressure; this does not establish the frequency or risk for every product.

Safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding is unclear. Do not replace prescribed treatment; people taking medicines, living with a mood disorder, or managing another condition should consult a health professional before considering a product. Data for a standardized extract do not establish a safe self-use dose for wild-collected plant material.

On a living plant, look for a low cushion-like clump with many stems arising from a rhizome; stems may be reddish or purple. Leaves are fleshy, alternate, nearly sessile, oblong to lance-shaped, and toothed toward the upper half. Dense heads terminate the stems; the small four-petaled flowers are commonly yellow, though populations vary.

The underground rhizome is thick and branched, with old stem scars and a scent described as rose-like in some references; do not identify by smell or taste. Commercial dried roots may be cut, mixed, or extracted, and an illustration cannot reliably distinguish close Rhodiola relatives.