Plant · P-897

Chinese Foxglove

Rehmannia glutinosa

Chinese Foxglove, also called di huang, is a low, rhizomatous, clump-forming perennial from stony ground and mountain slopes in northern China and Korea, grown almost entirely for its thick, sticky root, one of the fifty fundamental herbs of traditional Chinese medicine. It grows 15 to 30 cm tall and 8 to 30 cm wide from a basal rosette, grows in full sun with appreciation for part afternoon shade in hot summer climates, and wants a humusy, medium-moisture, well-drained, sandy to loamy soil that can be mildly acid, neutral or mildly alkaline; Missouri Botanical Garden gives hardiness zone 7-10, other literature gives zone 8-11 with root hardiness to about -25 C when grown dry, and the conservative zone 8-10 is used here. The fresh or steamed root is used as a blood and kidney tonic and to lower blood sugar, and while the leaves are sometimes eaten and the root can be cooked, the fresh root is traditionally steamed and dried multiple times before eating to reduce its natural bitterness, and first-time use can cause mild stomach upset, dizziness or palpitations.