Rosa chinensis

by | Sep 10, 2025 | Uncategorized

“A Year Long Like Spring in All Seasons”
「一年長作四時春」

“This flower alone blooms without end — all year round, it turns the seasons into spring.”

This faithful flower blooms with grace, Springtime lingers in its place《惟有此花開不厭，一年長作四時春。》— This is high praise for the chief herb in the Chinese medicinal formula 《勝春湯》(Spring-Surpassing Decoction): 月季花 Rosa chinensis (Chinese rose).

Chinese rose (月季) is also known as “Eternal Spring”「四時春」、 “Surpassing Spring”「勝春」、“Crimson Rivalling the Snow”「斗雪紅」、“Delicate Companion”「瘦客」. Its flowers come in shades of deep red and light red, truly a feast for the eyes, graceful in fragrance and colour, pleasing in both scent and taste.

The petals of Chinese rose (月季) are sweet and aromatic. Pharmacologically, they regulate qi, activate blood, regulate menstruation, dispel stasis, reduce swelling, and relieve pain. Among edible petals, it is one of the best for consumption. Even putting aside its processed forms, take the painted depiction of “Eternal Spring”「四時春」, for example: Lingnan painters often used it as a subject in their artworks. In spring’s faint, yearning embrace,
Grief lingers in the evening rain. “無力春懷裡，多愁暮雨中” — I’ve seen many paintings centered on Chinese rose (月季), with lush blossoms and verdant leaves, swaying gracefully. Who would have known it’s also a low-cost Chinese medicinal herb?

In clinical practice, the formula Spring-Surpassing Decoction《勝春湯》 is used to treat women’s amenorrhea or scanty, pale-colored menstrual flow with lower abdominal pain, accompanied by low spirits and constipation. If a woman experiences such symptoms during her period, consider this prescription:

  • 月季花 (Chinese rose flower) 5g
  • 當歸 (Angelica sinensis) 10g
  • 丹參 (Salvia miltiorrhiza) 10g
  • 白芍 (White peony root) 10g
  • Appropriate amount of 紅糖 (brown sugar)
  • Decoction in water for oral administration

This remedy is fragrant and sweet, unlike typical medicine. Taken a few doses before each period, and boiled together with one egg, it is indeed a wonderful formula for regulating menstruation, qi, and activating blood.

Chinese rose flower月季花 can also be cooked with 蜜糖 (honey) and 紅棗 (red dates), in a remedy called 「勝紅湯」Winning Red Decoction, which treats low-grade fever during menstruation and has a delicious flavor. Adding a few petals of 月季花 into a health tea not only promotes blood circulation and nourishes the complexion, but also keeps youthfulness long-lasting. Calling it 「一年長作四時春」 (a year long like spring in all seasons) is truly no exaggeration!