Siler
防风 · Fáng Fēng
Fends off chills, drafty colds, and weather-driven aches
Properties
WarmingWarming botanicalPungent, Sweet
Concerns
What it does
Siler protects you from drafty colds and weather-driven aches that follow a sudden chill or a change of season. In TCM, it dispels wind, the term for the moving, shifting quality behind drafty colds, migrating joint pain, and itchy hives. It pairs with astragalus and atractylodes in Yu Ping Feng San, the classic 'windscreen' formula for people who get sick easily.
How to take it
Decoct 5–10g of dried siler root in water for 20 minutes. Drink 1 cup, 1–2x daily during cold-pattern colds, drafty chills, or seasonal aches.
Look for it in Yu Ping Feng San for people who catch every cold going around
Safety
- Skip in yin-deficient patterns with night sweats and a dry red tongue. It can dry you out
- Skip if you're already sweating heavily without chills
- Skip during pregnancy unless directed by a practitioner
- Talk to your doctor before starting medicinal use, especially if you take medication
Where it comes from
Siler (Saposhnikovia divaricata, fáng fēng) is a small umbel-family plant native to northeast China, Mongolia, and Siberia. The Chinese name means 'guard against wind,' a hint at its main job. Roots are harvested from 2-year-old plants in spring or autumn, then sun-dried. Siler is the namesake supporting herb in Yu Ping Feng San, where it works the surface while astragalus rebuilds the body's underlying defenses.