bai zi ren

柏子仁·Semen Platycladi

Arborvitae Seed

About bai zi ren

Bai Zi Ren (柏子仁) is the seed of the arborvitae, a conifer, recorded as Semen Platycladi. It is sweet in flavour and neutral in temperature, entering the Heart, Kidney and Large Intestine channels. The catalogue files it among the substances that nourish the Heart and calm the Spirit.

Names

Pinyinbai zi ren
Chinese柏子仁
Latin NameSemen Platycladi
English NameArborvitae Seed·oriental arborvitael·oriental arborvitael; arborvitae seed
Japanesehakushinin
Koreanbaekjain

Classification

Channels
Large Intestine, Heart, Kidney
Flavour
Sweet
Temperature
Neutral
Part used
Seed
Family
Cupressaceae
Species
Platycladus Orientalis
Tags
Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Nourishes the Heart and calms the Shen

  • Deficient Heart Blood and Yin with palpitations, anxiety, insomnia and poor memory
  • Night terrors in children; may be used alone

Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels

  • Constipation from dry bowels rather than Excess obstruction, due to Blood and Yin deficiency, particularly in older or debilitated people, after childbirth or after a long illness

Stops sweating from Yin deficiency

  • Night sweats from Yin deficiency

Nourishes Essence

Combinations

Dosage

AgeRawGranuleTinctureConcentrateFrequency
Any3-18 g

Cautions

Interactions

Antagonistic with