Yi Mu Cao | Herba Leonuri | Chinese Motherwort
Properties: Acrid, Bitter, Slightly Cold
Channels Entered: Heart, Liver, Bladder
Yi Mu Cao, commonly known as Chinese Motherwort, is a deeply revered herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine used primarily for blood stasis, gynecological support, postpartum recovery, and menstrual regulation. Its name is often translated as “benefit mother herb,” reflecting its longstanding use in supporting women through menstruation, childbirth, and recovery after birth.
Derived from the aerial portions of the Leonurus plant, Yi Mu Cao has an acrid and bitter nature that both invigorates Blood and clears Heat. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is traditionally used to move stagnant Blood, regulate menstruation, reduce masses, promote urination, and relieve swelling and toxicity internally and externally.
The Grand Materia Medica states that Yi Mu Cao “invigorates the blood, breaks up blood stasis, regulates menstruation, resolves toxicity and miscarriage,” emphasizing its importance within classical gynecological herbal traditions.
Yi Mu Cao is especially known for conditions involving Blood stagnation and postpartum retention. Traditionally, it has been used for severe postpartum abdominal pain, uterine bleeding, retention of placenta, tissue damage after childbirth, and toxic accumulations that may arise following delivery. Its ability to both move Blood and clear Heat makes it a unique herb within women’s herbal formulations.
Beyond postpartum support, Yi Mu Cao is also traditionally used for menstrual irregularities, abdominal masses, swelling, and inflammatory conditions associated with Blood stasis and Heat. Because it promotes circulation while supporting fluid movement through urination, it is often valued when stagnation and swelling occur together.
Li Shi-Zhen referred to the herb as “splendid profusion,” explaining that “the plant and its seeds grow profusely in dense splendor,” a poetic description that reflects both the vitality of the plant and its longstanding place within TCM.
Modern research has identified several active constituents within Yi Mu Cao, including:
- Leonurine
- Stachydrine
- Alkaloids
- Flavonoids
- Diterpenes
- Phenolic compounds
These constituents have been studied for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardiovascular-supportive, antimicrobial, and anticancer effects, offering modern insight into a botanical that has been used traditionally for centuries.
As mentioned, Yi Mu Cao is one of the herbs found in our KYA Yoni Steam, where it is included for its traditional role in supporting circulation, postpartum recovery, menstrual balance, and the movement of stagnant Blood.
Research references:
Bensky, D., Clavey, S., & Stöger, E. (2004). Chinese herbal medicine : materia medica. Eastland Press, Cop.
Koshovyi, O., Raal, A., Kireyev, I., Tryshchuk, N., Ilina, T., Romanenko, Y., Kovalenko, S. M., & Bunyatyan, N. (2021). Phytochemical and Psychotropic Research of Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca L.) Modified Dry Extracts. Plants, 10(2), 230. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020230
Liu, X. H., Pan, L. L., & Zhu, Y. Z. (2012). Active chemical compounds of traditional Chinese medicine Herba Leonuri: implications for cardiovascular diseases. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 39(3), 274–282. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1681.2011.05630.x
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca). (n.d.). Restorative Medicine. https://restorativemedicine.org/library/monographs/motherwort/
Motherwort – Health Information Library | PeaceHealth. (2026). Peacehealth.org. https://www.peacehealth.org/medical-topics/id/hn-2132004