My Herbs 1

Dang Shen
(Codonopsis pilosula)
This species has been used for about three centuries, but in
that relatively short period of time it has become a valuable
tonic. It is used as a ginseng substitute and is often called
the poor man's ginseng.
Poor man’s ginseng
Dang shen is a twining perennial
herb in the bellflower family, with
a carrot-shaped or cylindrical root that
can be from 4–16 inches (10–40 cm)
long. When fresh, the root is white and
smooth; when dried, it is yellow-brown
and deeply wrinkled.
USES
It is somewhat reminiscent of ginseng
due to its shape: the top of the root is
stocky with many stem buds. Its stems
are quite elongated, branched, permeated
with milky veins, hairy, of a violet
hue, and up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall.
Its leaves are alternate, exceptionally
opposite, with long petioles.
The leaf blade is ovate or
oval, pointed and slightly
serrated, and hairy.
It has light green
five-pointed bellshaped
flowers with
prominent yellow or
light purple veins. The
flowers are yellowgreen,
with purple spots
inside, broadly bellshaped,
shallowly lobed.
Lobes are triangular with
pointed tips. Filaments
are slightly
46 MY HERBS MAGAZINE