Polygonum multiflorum Seeds | Polygoni Multiflori Slices He Shou Wu
LATIN NAME: Polygonum multiflorum
COMMON NAME: He Shou Wu Slices, Fo-ti, Chinese Knotweed Root
Plant Profile
Among the ornamental and useful plants raised from seed, He Shou Wu Slices (Polygonum multiflorum) stands out as a vigorous, twining, herb in the knotweed family, native to woodlands and hedgerows of the east, while it has been cultivated for its root for a very long time. Bees and other pollinators visit the flowers freely through the season. All of this makes He Shou Wu Slices a satisfying plant to grow and to get to know.
Science & Biotechnology
Fo-ti illustrates better than any other herb why processing matters. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia controls the drug through the stilbene glycoside THSG and the anthraquinones emodin and physcion, and traditional preparation — repeated steaming with black-bean juice, historically nine cycles — measurably lowers the anthraquinone burden. Raw he shou wu has become one of the most frequently implicated herbs in idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury, with case series documented worldwide; prepared material carries a substantially lower, though not zero, risk. Published guidance therefore restricts the raw drug to short courses and favours the prepared form. Anyone with existing liver disease should avoid it.
Seed science, comparative botany and horticultural selection all touch on Polygonum multiflorum, a representative of the knotweed family with clear practical value. He shou wu root has a real and distinguished place in research. Little about its garden performance is mysterious; it has been grown and observed for a very long time.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, He Shou Wu Slices has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. Its small, white flowers feed bees and insects, and its twining growth gives a fine cover on fences and hedgerows, while its vigorous spread can make it a plant that needs careful management in the garden. To raise he shou wu, sow seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a bright, cool place, keep them gently watered, and grow little plants on in the light. Once settled, it thrives on neglect more than on fussing.
Knotweeds span the famous tonic He Shou Wu for hair and vitality, the resveratrol-rich Hu Zhang, and smartweeds of folk use; He Shou Wu’s record includes rare liver-injury reports, so the herb belongs in professional hands while the genus’s ornamental fleeceflowers grace the garden.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of He Shou Wu Slices under ordinary good conditions. Broadcast the seed thinly over a fine, free-draining compost, sieve a little more compost on top, and water with a fine rose. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
The traditional uses covered above are what first made this species worth cultivating. It is a solid representative of the Polygonum group, true to type from seed. Plant it in sun with drainage to its liking and the rest is easy.
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