The Many Benefits and Uses of Bletilla: Good for Both Medicine and Ornamental Display

Bletilla, formally known as Bletilla striata, is a perennial herb in the orchid family, genus Bletilla. Its swollen pseudobulbs are cleaned, steamed, sliced and sun-dried to become a traditional Chinese medicinal material. The plant has strap-like leaves and blooms in spring and summer, with flowers mostly in purplish red or pale purple. It can be used both as medicine and as an ornamental, and wild resources are mostly found on hillside forest floors across the southern provinces of our country.

In traditional Chinese medicine, Bletilla is slightly cold in nature, with a bitter, sweet and astringent taste, and it enters the lung, liver and stomach meridians. Its main effects are to astringe and stop bleeding, reduce swelling and promote tissue regeneration, so it is often used for coughing up blood, vomiting blood, bleeding from external injuries, sores and swellings, and cracked hands and feet. Because of its sticky texture, it helps wounds astringe and heal when used externally, which is why it is also a common ingredient in many traditional external formulas.

Besides its medicinal use, Bletilla tubers are rich in sticky substances. In ancient times they were used as a natural glue for paper mounting and yarn sizing, and today they are also often used as one of the raw materials in cosmetics and daily chemical products. Its plant form is elegant, making it suitable for flower borders or potted display, and many production areas also grow it artificially as an understory economic crop, drawing attention from growers.

It should be noted that Bletilla is, after all, a medicinal material, so oral use should be guided by a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner based on syndrome differentiation, and it is not advisable to take it on one's own in large doses over a long period. Traditional experience holds that it should not be used together with Aconitum medicinal materials, and pregnant women and people with special constitutions should consult a doctor before use. When buying, those that are dry, solid and have a whitish cross-section are preferred, and care should be taken to distinguish them from counterfeit products.