Raw rehmannia root · Sheng Di Huang
Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaert.) Libosch. ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey. · Fresh or lightly dried tuberous root
Name and part used
A low herb with wrinkled basal leaves and dark-purple, yellow-throated tubular flowers; its root tuber is fleshy and yellow-brown.
Traditional context
Sheng Di is cleaned Rehmannia glutinosa root in fresh or dried form under the applicable standard. It differs from Shu Di, the same species after extended processing; names are not interchangeable.
Modern evidence
Heat-clearing, blood-cooling, and fluid-generating are traditional claims. They do not support self-treatment of bleeding, infection, or metabolic disease.
Safety
Digestive discomfort is possible; use caution with glucose-lowering or coagulation-affecting medicines. Seek advice during pregnancy or chronic illness.
Pairing in reference texts
Sheng Di appears in traditional cooling formulas with Mu Dan Pi, Red Peony, or Mai Men Dong; historical combinations do not establish current safety.
Growing, care, and harvest timing
HKBU habitat record: Mostly cultivated, also growing wild on hill-slopes at altitude 50-1,100m and on roadside wastelands. Distributed in Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Anhui, Zhejiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and etc. The medicinal materials are mainly produced in Wenxian, Mengxian, Wuling, Boai, Qinyang and etc of Henan Harvest and processing as recorded: Early Dihuang harvested in early and middle Oct; late Dihuang harvested from late Oct to the early Nov; wild Dihuang also harvested in spring. Taken care when excavating, and not break the root, cleared stem leaves, rhizome residue and fibril, washed off earth; or buried under dried sandy soil without washing, can be kept in dried and shady places for 2-3 months
Source-recorded harvest/processing: Early Dihuang harvested in early and middle Oct; late Dihuang harvested from late Oct to the early Nov; wild Dihuang also harvested in spring. Taken care when excavating, and not break the root, cleared stem leaves, rhizome residue and fibril, washed off earth; or buried under dried sandy soil without washing, can be kept in dried and shady places for 2-3 months
The reviewed source does not provide a complete species-specific sowing/growing routine, irrigation/fertilization schedule, or universal plant age. The page therefore does not infer care instructions or years to harvest; consult local cultivation guidance.
Open habitat and season source ↗FROM PLANT / SOURCE HABITAT TO DRIED MATERIAL · REFERENCE WORKFLOW
- Harvest roots in October–November according to early or late cultivation cycles; excavate carefully to avoid breakage.
- Remove leaves, rhizome crown, and fine roots; wash or temporarily store in dry sand under professional procedures.
- Define the fresh or dried Sheng Di form by its standard; use only specified drying, not the repeated steaming used for Shu Di.
- Record form, harvest date, and storage conditions; label distinctly from Shu Di.
These are post-harvest study notes, not directions to prepare a remedy for self-treatment. Processing reference ↗
How to read formula amounts
The cited sources do not provide a formula with specific amounts for this profile; no ratio is invented. Absence from the incompatibility list does not establish safety.
Habitat, season, and harvest in the HKBU botanical record
HKBU botanical record (translated summary): Flowering and fruiting dates: Flowering: April to May, fruiting: May to June Habitat and distribution: Mostly cultivated, also growing wild on hill-slopes at altitude 50-1,100m and on roadside wastelands. Distributed in Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Anhui, Zhejiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and etc. The medicinal materials are mainly produced in Wenxian, Mengxian, Wuling, Boai, Qinyang and etc of Henan Harvest and processing as recorded: Early Dihuang harvested in early and middle Oct; late Dihuang harvested from late Oct to the early Nov; wild Dihuang also harvested in spring. Taken care when excavating, and not break the root, cleared stem leaves, rhizome residue and fibril, washed off earth; or buried under dried sandy soil without washing, can be kept in dried and shady places for 2-3 months
Open botanical source ↗