Kuan Dong Hua (款冬花) — Coltsfoot Flower: TCM Uses, Cough & Formulas

At a Glance

Herb: Kuan Dong Hua
Chinese name: 款冬花 (Kuǎn Dōng Huā)
Latin name: Tussilago farfara flower bud
Nature: Warm
Taste: Acrid / Slightly Bitter
Meridian: Lung
Category: Herbs that Resolve Phlegm and Stop Coughing
Introduction: Kuan Dong Hua (款冬花), the dried flower bud of Tussilago farfara L. (coltsfoot), is among the oldest documented medicinal plants in both Eastern and Western traditions, used for respiratory complaints in China since the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing and in Europe since ancient Greece. Its name — ‘winter-welcoming flower’ — refers to its habit of blooming in early spring before its leaves emerge, often through snow. Like Zi Wan, it is a warm but moistening herb suitable for a wide range of cough patterns, and the two herbs are so frequently combined that they are collectively called ‘Wan Dong’ (菀冬). Modern pharmacology has confirmed tussilagone, rutin, quercetin, and polysaccharides with antitussive, anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities.

Moistens the lung and descends qi — treats cough and wheezing from lung qi rebellion
Stops cough — versatile across cold, hot, deficiency, and excess cough patterns
Resolves phlegm — loosens and expels sputum
Warms the lung — especially suited for cold-type cough and chronic lung deficiency with cold

Standard dose: 5–10 g; honey-processed (蜜款冬花) preferred for nourishing the lung
Raw form has stronger warming and phlegm-resolving action
Use with caution in lung yin deficiency with fire — warm nature may aggravate heat
Contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids — avoid prolonged high-dose internal use; short-course therapeutic use at standard doses is generally safe
Harvest the flower buds before opening (before they emerge from ground) for best quality

Bai Hua Wan (百花丸): Kuan Dong Hua + Zi Wan in equal parts — the classic two-herb cough formula covering most presentations
Zhi Sou San (止嗽散): Kuan Dong Hua added to enhance the warming, moistening cough action
She Gan Ma Huang Tang (射干麻黄汤): Kuan Dong Hua, She Gan, Ma Huang, Xi Xin, Zi Wan, Ban Xia, Wu Wei Zi, Sheng Jiang, Da Zao — Zhang Zhongjing’s formula for cold-phlegm wheezing
Combined with Bai Bu, Sha Shen, E Jiao for chronic lung deficiency cough with dryness

紫菀 (Zǐ Wǎn) — classic pair: warm and moisten lung, stop cough; used for cough of any etiology including deficiency, cold-phlegm, or heat-phlegm. 2. 麻黄 (Má Huáng) + 杏仁 (Xìng Rén) — exterior cold with lung qi counterflow (射干麻黄汤加减). 3. 百合 (Bǎi Hé) — chronic dry cough from lung deficiency with yin damage. 4. 知母 (Zhī Mǔ) + 贝母 (Bèi Mǔ) — lung heat with chronic cough (款冬花性温而润，配寒药则平衡). 5. 阿胶 (Ē Jiāo) + 五味子 (Wǔ Wèi Zǐ) — lung qi and yin deficiency with cough and dyspnea. Source: 神农本草经, 金匮要略 (射干麻黄汤).

tussilagone acts on central cough center and peripheral airway receptors
- Antitussive: reduces cough frequency and intensity
Bronchodilatory
- inhibits PAF (platelet-activating factor) and relaxes bronchial smooth muscle
Anti-inflammatory
- reduces arachidonic acid cascade products
- inhibits neutrophil degranulation
Expectorant
- stimulates bronchial mucus production and ciliary beat frequency
tussilagone
- Cardiovascular: increases cardiac output and mean arterial pressure at low doses
Safety
- pyrrolizidine alkaloids are hepatotoxic with chronic use — avoid in pregnancy and liver disease
- honey-processed form reduces PA content

Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (《神农本草经》): ‘Governs counterflow cough with upward qi, ready wheezing, throat impediment, all fright epilepsy, and cold-heat pathogenic qi.’
Ben Cao Gang Mu (《本草纲目》): ‘Coltsfoot Flower is the key herb for treating cough; acrid and warm, moistens the Lung, transforms phlegm and descends qi; its cough-treating function is the same as Aster Root, but with a stronger warming and moistening action.’
Ben Cao Bei Yao (《本草备要》): ‘Acrid and warm, moistens the Lung, transforms phlegm and descends qi, stops cough; treats lung atrophy, lung abscess, cough and wheezing, settles fright, and brightens vision.’