Albizia Bark
合欢皮 · Hé Huān Pí
Lifts a heavy mood and softens grief
What it does
Albizia bark eases the heavy, stuck mood that comes with grief, depression, and emotional fatigue. In TCM, it 'resolves depression' and quiets the spirit, the classical pattern behind insomnia tied to a low or stuck mood. The Chinese name Hé Huān Pí means 'collected joy bark,' a poetic reference to its reputation as the herb of happiness. It also moves blood for traumatic injuries and abscesses.
How to take it
Decoct 6–12g of dried albizia bark in 4 cups water for 30 minutes. Drink 1 cup, 1–2x daily. Often paired with rose flower, sour jujube, or polygala in mood blends.
Try an albizia-and-rose tea daily during a tough emotional stretch
Take a standardized albizia capsule (typically 500mg) once or twice daily. Often combined in mood-and-sleep formulas with sour jujube seed and lily bulb.
Try a daily albizia-based mood capsule for grief or low-mood support
Safety
- Generally well tolerated for mood support
- Skip during pregnancy
- May enhance sedatives. Don't combine without practitioner guidance
- Discontinue if you develop rash or stomach upset
- Talk to your doctor before starting, especially if you take medication
Where it comes from
Albizia (Albizia julibrissin) is the silk tree, a flowering tree native to Asia and now common as an ornamental across the Mediterranean and the southern US. Its pink puffball flowers are also a TCM herb (He Huan Hua), specifically for mood support. Albizia bark has been used in TCM since at least the Han Dynasty for grief, irritability, and insomnia. Modern Western herbalism has adopted it as 'tree of happiness' for similar mood applications.