Dan Shen, gentle but powerful

Dan shen, Salvia miltiorrhiza, aka red sage, is currently thriving as a pot plant in my garden. It is perennial and hardy, yet another herbaceous perennial that dies down over winter. It tolerates dry conditions too. It's not a thug in the garden and I nearly lost it last season when the lemon balm started to take over (yes, lemon balm is a thug). As with others in the sage family, the pollinators love the flowers. The roots are the part used medicinally so it's on my list to multiply it (and would like to grow some for the Canterbury Herb Society who are doing an incredible job regenerating the Avice Hill garden).

It has been used for milennia in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and prized for its cardiovascular actions. It has been used in TCM for angina and prevention of heart attacks. This is what I primarily use it for with my clients. Actions include cardioprotective, hypotensive (for high blood pressure) plus antiplatelet and anticoagulant. So definitely one to avoid if you are on meds that have antiplatelet or anticoagulant actions and also if you are pregnant.

In Western Herbal Medicine it has been shown that it may have the ability to support the liver (hepatoprotective) and therefore may help skin conditions like acne as they may be connected to a sluggish liver.

Due to its vulnerary actions, it may be used to support health including of wounds and broken bones.

This is definitely a herb that needs to be used under the guidance of a medical herbalist, naturopath or TCM practitioner and not one to self prescribe. My feeling is that it's a gentle but powerful supporter of the body so a herb that needs respect.

Dan Shen flowering in my garden