Zhi Mu

Zhi Mu. Anemarrhena (Zhi Mu) scientifically known as Anemarrhena asphodeloides is an evergreen perennial plant species in family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. It is the only species in the genus, and some authors have placed it in its own family, Anemarrhenaceae. The plant is native to Japan, Korea, Mongolia and China. It is cultivated in the northern and northeastern provinces. It is also popularly known as common anemarrhena and Zhi mu. It is a commonly used medicinal herb in China, with a history that stretches back more than 2,000 years. The plant is collected from the wild and also cultivated for medicinal use.

Anemarrhena has been used as a staple of traditional Chinese medicine for centuries; its first recorded use dates back to 200 BC. Internally, it is used for a variety of disorders, including congestive fever, high fever, chronic bronchitis, excessive sweating, dry throat, cough, dizziness, lumbago and pneumonia. Externally, it is used as part of a mouth wash to treat oral ulcers. Extracts of the plant contain compounds called saponins — one of which, asphonin, can be used to effectively treat lower back pain.

Zhi Mu naturally grows in Mountain woodlands, exposed slopes, hills, scrub, grassy slopes, steppes, sunny and sandy hillsides and also cultivated near sea level. These plants require a rich moist neutral to acid soil that is rich in organic matter, in a position in partial or dappled shade. Plants are tolerant of strong winds. They will grow to be around 3 feet tall and flower in late summer with pink, violet or whitish, funnel shaped blooms that stand in spikes. The rhizome is large, hard, and round with pale-yellowish color inside