The Bristol Chinese Herb Garden
The Bristol Chinese Herb Garden (Figure 6.13) was started in 2000 as a
partnership between the University of Bristol Botanic Garden and the
RCHM. With the move of the University Botanic Garden in 2006, an
opportunity was taken to greatly enlarge the size and scope of the Chinese
Herb Garden.
The Chinese Herb Garden aims to provide a comprehensive living collec-
tion of plants used in Chinese medicine that can be used in the teaching of
students of herbal medicine and for research by the University and the
herbal profession into the cultivation and chemistry of the plants.
The garden is affiliated to several University and botanic gardens in
China and is divided into several distinct areas, including a herbal teaching
display where plants are divided into: ‘use class’ categories in line with
Chinese medicine theory; a conservation bed highlighting some of the plants
that are currently under threat from overuse or habitat loss; a research bed;
a peony bed; and an area for ferns.
Traditional Chinese medicine | 177Source material Chinese name Parts Main Clinical use
used constituents
Agastache rugosa Hua xiang Herb Essential oil Digestive stimulant,
antiemetic
Cinnamonium spp. Rou gui Bark Essential oil, resin Warms, circulatory
stimulant
Clematis chinensis Wei ling xian Root Anemoonin, Antirheumatic, stimulant,
saponins, sterols, expels wind and damp
phenols
Glycyrrhiza uralensis Gan cao Root Saponins, flavonoids Expectorant, tonic,
detoxifier
Lonicera japonica Jin yin hua Flowers Luteolin, tannin Cooling and disinfecting,
antipyretic, detoxifier
Magnolia spp. Xin yi hua Bark Essential oil, Digestive stimulant,
alkaloids expectorant
Panax ginseng Ren shen Root Saponins, glycosides Sedative, tonic
Phellodendron Po-mu Bark Alkaloids, Bitter digestive, diuretic,
amurensei triterpenoids, sterols antipyretic
Taraxacum Pu gong ying Whole Bitters, sterol Anti-infective, antipyretic
mongolicum plantTable 6.5Examples of common Chinese herbs^195