Wolf Poison Root
狼毒 · Láng Dú
Practitioner-only herb for severe fluid retention
Properties
NeutralNeutral botanicalPungent
Concerns
What it does
Wolf poison root expels deeply lodged water, phlegm, or accumulated waste when gentler botanicals can't shift the problem. The Chinese name Láng Dú means 'wolf poison,' a fitting warning. In TCM, it falls in the drastic purgative class, with anti-parasitic action and topical use for chronic skin conditions like scab or lichen. Highly toxic and strictly practitioner-controlled.
How to take it
External use only is safer: applied as a paste for chronic skin lesions. Internal use in tiny processed doses is rare in modern TCM.
Avoid self-use. Practitioners rarely use this in modern practice
Safety
- Highly toxic. Never source or self-prescribe
- Skip absolutely during pregnancy
- Used only externally or in tiny processed doses by practitioners
- Modern medicine has safer alternatives for almost every traditional indication
- Talk to your doctor before starting, especially if you take medication
Where it comes from
Wolf poison root has had a strange dual identity in TCM. The name has been applied to two different toxic plants over the centuries: Stellera chamaejasme and Euphorbia fischeriana. Both were used as drastic purgatives. The plant grows in northern Chinese steppes, where shepherds historically warned against grazing animals near it. Modern TCM rarely prescribes it, and many traditional indications are now treated with safer botanicals or modern medicine.