Herb reference entry
Capillary Wormwood / Yin Chen Hao
Capillary Wormwood / Yin Chen Hao
Artemisia capillaris Thunb.
Reviewed by Kuda, September 2, 2026 - Editorial policy
OVERVIEW
What This Record Covers
Capillary Wormwood, called Yin Chen, is the young flowering aerial parts of Artemisia capillaris, a perennial aromatic herb of the daisy family (Asteraceae) that grows on dry slopes and wastelands across East Asia. The medicinal material is the gray-green, finely divided young shoot material, harvested at a defined early stage and dried, with a characteristic wormwood aroma. In trade it appears as cut dried herb, teas, granules, and extracts. Harvest stage is a major identity detail because mature Artemisia plants look different and are different materials, and the young shoot, the mature plant, and essential-oil products must be kept separate.
- English name
- Capillary Wormwood / Yin Chen Hao
- Latin name
- Artemisia capillaris Thunb.
- Traditional category
- Water Draining
- Nature
- Slightly Cold
- Flavor description
- Bitter, Pungent
- Record identifier
- yinchen
IDENTIFICATION
Identification and Image Notes
Young shoots are gray-green and finely divided with a characteristic wormwood aroma, and harvest stage is a major identity detail because mature Artemisia plants differ in appearance. The young material is soft and downy, with finely divided feathery leaves, and it is usually sold as cut dried herb. The young-shoot form should be confirmed with the label, and the material should not be confused with other wormwood species, whose mature leaves look different.
Images are for orientation only, not definitive species authentication; confirm species, part, source, and labeling with a qualified professional or authoritative monograph.
TRADITIONAL CONTEXT
Traditional Use in Context
Traditional records discuss Capillary Wormwood for damp-heat and jaundice-related language, liver and gallbladder pathways, and bitter-aromatic clearing, and it is a defining ingredient of classical jaundice formulas such as Yin Chen Hao Tang, where it is paired with Gardenia Fruit and Rhubarb Root. Classical texts describe it for yellowing presentations read as damp-heat, always within a pattern-based framework. The jaundice vocabulary is historical, and jaundice, dark urine, or unexplained fatigue requires urgent liver evaluation rather than a traditional label. Yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, or pale stools are signs for prompt medical assessment.
PROCESSING CONTEXT
Raw Material, Processing, and Product Form
The young herb is dried and cut, and mature plant material and essential oils should not be represented as the same product. Storage must protect the volatile aromatic fraction, and the batch record should state the harvest stage.
The same name can cover a raw material, decoction piece, powder, extract, or finished product, so record the labeled form rather than assuming it; see the safety review for the questions to ask.
SAFETY REVIEW
Safety Boundaries
Review ragweed-family allergy, pregnancy, liver disease, gallbladder disease, and any jaundice or dark urine, and check for interactions with medicines affecting the liver or blood clotting. A traditional jaundice record cannot replace urgent liver evaluation, and this page is educational and is not a dose recommendation.
This record is not a dose recommendation; risk depends on identity, preparation, amount, duration, contamination, other medicines, and health conditions — a traditional or “natural” label cannot establish safety. For the full framework, read the Chinese Herbal Medicine Safety Review.
COMPARISON
How This Entry Differs
Compare Capillary Wormwood with Gardenia Fruit for the herb-versus-fruit pair in jaundice formulas, and with Christina Loosestrife for the damp-heat end of the vocabulary. Wormwood is distinguished by its harvest-stage identity and its central role in classical jaundice records.
Use the related-entry links below to compare identity, part, processing, and safety boundaries — similar categories do not make materials interchangeable.
STUDY METHOD
New to these entries?
Read the four-step method in How to Read a Herb Entry before comparing materials.
