Types of Chrysanthemum Tea in TCM | White vs Yellow

By PULSE Clinical Content

Clinically reviewed Dr Sim Beng Joo TCMPB T1303003A

Updated 17 Aug 2026 Published 3 Jun 2020

In brief

Chrysanthemum tea (菊花, juhua) is a cooling, caffeine-free flower infusion used to clear heat, soothe the Liver, and ease sore throat, dry mouth, or strained eyes. White chrysanthemum fits screen-tired eyes. Yellow chrysanthemum fits a wind-heat cold. Wild chrysanthemum is the strongest and is generally physician-only. Skip chrysanthemum tea if you run cooling, have weak digestion, are pregnant, or during menses.

01 · Why drink it

Why drink chrysanthemum tea?

People reach for it when the body feels heaty (上火): a scratchy throat, dry mouth, a sudden skin flare, or tired eyes after screens. The flower still has to match the job.

02 · Types

Not all chrysanthemums are the same

白菊花 · 黄菊花 · 野菊花

All three help expel wind-heat and clear internal heat. Market bags are not interchangeable. Pale petals, gold petals, and small dark heads are different tools.

White, yellow, and wild chrysanthemum
Type	Look	Usual job	Suggestion
White (白菊花)Bai Ju Hua	Pale petals, gentler cooling	Clears Liver heat and eases screen-strained eyes	White chrysanthemum and wolfberry tea
Yellow (黄菊花)Huang Ju Hua	Distinctly yellow flowers	Dispels wind-heat cold: feverish feel, sore throat, headache	Yellow chrysanthemum and honeysuckle tea
Wild (野菊花)Ye Ju Hua	Smaller, darker, most bitter	Strongest heat-clearing for painful sores, ulcers, severe acne	Physician pairing, not a casual steep

Dried pale white chrysanthemum flowers used for tired-eye tea

03 · White

White chrysanthemum (白菊花, Bai Ju Hua)

清肝明目

At the market this is the paler flower: cream or ivory petals, larger heads than wild. It is the gentler cooling variety. In TCM the Liver opens into the eyes, so this is the usual flower after long screen hours.

Milder and less bitter than yellow or wild.
Not the wind-heat cold flower. A scratchy, feverish throat usually wants yellow.
Often labelled Hangzhou white chrysanthemum in Chinese grocers.

Dried white chrysanthemum and wolfberries for tea at PULSE TCM

Eyes · 清肝明目

White chrysanthemum and wolfberry tea

10 g white chrysanthemum with 8 g wolfberries. Pour boiling water, steep about 10 minutes. About once every two to three days.

Skip or use less if you feel cold easily, have weak digestion, or are pregnant.

Make the white chrysanthemum wolfberry tea

04 · Yellow

Yellow chrysanthemum (黄菊花, Huang Ju Hua)

Wind-heat · 风热

This variety is distinctly yellow, not pale. It is the usual flower when a wind-heat cold is coming on: feverish feel, sore throat, cough, or headache.

Stronger cooling than white. A daily eye tea it is not.
Skip if you feel cold easily or digestion is already weak.
The honeysuckle blend below is contraindicated in pregnancy.

Dried yellow chrysanthemum and honeysuckle for tea at PULSE TCM

Wind-heat · 风热

Yellow chrysanthemum and honeysuckle tea

Yellow chrysanthemum with Japanese honeysuckle, malva nut, mint, and licorice. Soak and peel the malva nuts, then steep 10 to 15 minutes.

Not for long-term use. If there's any chance of pregnancy, don't use this.

Make the yellow chrysanthemum honeysuckle tea

Dried yellow chrysanthemum flowers used for wind-heat tea

Dried wild chrysanthemum flowers used in physician-strength cooling teas

05 · Wild

Wild chrysanthemum (野菊花, Ye Ju Hua)

清热解毒

Wild chrysanthemum is smaller, darker yellow or brownish, and the most bitter. Physicians use it when heat is painful: severe acne, mouth ulcers, swollen sores, or stacked heatiness with an approaching flu. It is not a grocery-bag substitute for white or yellow.

Do not casual-brew

Because it is potent and bitter, wild chrysanthemum belongs in short, targeted pots, not a standing grocery habit. Prefer white or yellow for everyday cooling.

Dried Japanese honeysuckle, wild chrysanthemum, and rock sugar for tea at PULSE TCM

清热解毒

Honeysuckle and wild chrysanthemum tea

Japanese honeysuckle with wild chrysanthemum, simmered about 20 minutes, then rock sugar to ease the bitterness. Sip gradually through the day.

Physician-strength. Not for long-term use. If there's any chance of pregnancy, don't use this.

Make the honeysuckle wild chrysanthemum tea

06 · Timing

When should you drink chrysanthemum tea?

The flowers are cooling. Huge daily pots for weeks are not the usual rhythm.

After sun: yellow chrysanthemum after a long day outdoors, when heat has stacked.
After screens: white chrysanthemum after long work hours, when the eyes feel dry or strained.
Casual use: about twice a week.
Targeted use: every day for three to five days, then stop until the signs return.

If you already have a fever or flu, chrysanthemum tea may ease a sore throat or heaty feel. It does not treat the root illness. A licensed TCM physician still needs to name the pattern.

07 · Who

Who should drink chrysanthemum tea?

Match the cup to constitution, not only to the flower on the packet. If you are unsure whether you run heaty or cooling, see heaty versus cooling.

Often a fit: a heaty constitution, especially with dry mouth and throat, constipation, a flushed face, or acne.
Often a miss: a cooling constitution. Cooling flowers will not warm that picture and may worsen cold hands, fatigue, or loose stools.
Weak digestion: skip or use less. Cooling teas can sit heavy on a sensitive stomach.
Pregnancy: avoid chrysanthemum teas entirely. The yellow honeysuckle blend is specifically contraindicated.
Menses: limit or skip cooling teas; cold-natured drinks can worsen cramps for some people.

Symptom relief is not a cure

Mild heat-related signs may ease with a short cooling steep. If they do not settle after a few days, book a consult rather than brewing a stronger pot.

When to book a constitution consult

If heaty and cooling signs stack together, a sore throat lingers, or you are unsure which flower fits, a physician can match food, herbs, and acupuncture to your pattern.

Book Appointment Dietary therapy

Clinically reviewed

Reviewed by Sim Beng Joo

Advisor (Science & Strategy) / Consultant Physician · TCMPB T1303003A

MOH-licensed TCM physician and biomedical scientist, with clinical work in digestion, pain, sleep or fatigue, and constitution patterns that show as heaty or cooling signs.

View full profile

Educational information based on clinical experience and TCM principles. Not a substitute for personalised consultation, medical care, or urgent attention. Speak with your physician before starting herbs, strong cooling teas, or new self-care in pregnancy or with a chronic condition. Seek urgent care for high fever, severe pain, or acute illness.

FAQs

Chrysanthemum tea questions

Common questions before you steep a cooling flower tea or book a first visit.

Is chrysanthemum tea caffeine-free?

Yes. It is an herbal infusion made from dried flowers, not Camellia tea leaves, so it is naturally caffeine-free. That is why many people drink it in the late afternoon or evening without expecting it to keep them awake.

Can I drink chrysanthemum tea during my period?

From a TCM view, limit or skip cooling teas, including chrysanthemum, during menses. Cold-natured drinks at that time can introduce cold into the uterus for some people and may worsen cramps or slow flow.

What is the best way to sweeten chrysanthemum tea?

Yellow rock sugar is the usual mild sweetener. Honey can also moisten the Lungs and soothe the throat. Let the cup cool to warm before stirring in honey so the heat does not blunt what you are adding it for.

How should I store dried chrysanthemum flowers?

Keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry place. In humid Singapore weather, the refrigerator is a practical extra step to limit mould and keep colour and aroma longer.

Can chrysanthemum tea interact with Western medications?

Like many herbs, chrysanthemum can interact with some prescriptions. It may enhance the effects of blood-pressure drugs, blood thinners, and diabetes medicines. If you take daily prescriptions, ask your doctor or a licensed TCM physician before making herbal teas a regular habit.

Can I drink chrysanthemum tea every day?

Not as a standing habit. Casual use is about twice a week. For clear heaty signs, daily use for three to five days, then stop until the signs return. Daily strong cooling teas can weaken the Spleen and leave bloating or fatigue, especially if you already run cooling.

Is chrysanthemum tea safe during pregnancy?

Expecting mothers should avoid chrysanthemum teas. The yellow honeysuckle blend and the wild chrysanthemum honeysuckle pot are specifically contraindicated in pregnancy. Do not self-prescribe cooling flower teas while pregnant.

Is chrysanthemum tea cooling?

Yes. All three common flowers are cooling. White is gentler, yellow is stronger for wind-heat, and wild is the most bitter and most cooling. That is why the tea often fits a heaty constitution and can aggravate a cooling one.

References

Selected sources

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Traditional Chinese medicine: What you need to know. 2019. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/traditional-chinese-medicine-what-you-need-to-know/
World Health Organization. Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine. https://www.who.int/health-topics/traditional-complementary-and-integrative-medicine
Yuan H, Jiang S, Liu Y, et al. The flower head of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. (Juhua): a paradigm of flowers serving as Chinese dietary herbal medicine. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020;261:113043. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32593689/
Liu Y, Lu C, Zhou J, et al. Chrysanthemum morifolium as a traditional herb: a review of historical development, classification, phytochemistry, pharmacology and application. J Ethnopharmacol. 2024;330:118198. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38621465/

Next step

Need a constitution read before the next cup?

Bring how you have been eating, sleeping, and what the throat or eyes feel like. We will name the pattern in plain language and decide whether food guidance, herbs, or acupuncture belong in your plan.

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