Monnier's Snowparsley

Cnidium monnieri

Also known as She Chuang Zi, Snake's Bed Seed, Cnidium Seed, Deer Parsley

At a glance

Family

Apiaceae (the carrot and parsley family)

Parts used

Ripe seeds (fruit)

Size

8 to 24 inches tall

Bloom

Summer, small white lace-like umbels

Habitat

Damp meadows, riverbanks, and roadsides across China, Korea, Japan, and parts of Southeast Asia

Acquisition

Grow or buy

Traditional remedies in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Traditional skin soothing wash

Traditional support for vitality

Traditionally used for itching

Historic warming tonic herb

Traditional uses

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In traditional Chinese medicine, the small ridged seeds of Cnidium monnieri, known as She Chuang Zi, have been dried and simmered into washes for centuries to soothe irritated, itchy, or damp-prone skin. Herbalists also folded the seed into warming tonic formulas, traditionally associated with vitality and reproductive health for both men and women. It has long traveled alongside companion roots like Kushen and Bai Xian Pi in folk remedies for the skin, and it remains one of the most recognizable seeds in the traditional apothecary chest, tucked into small paper packets at herb shops across East Asia.

How to grow & use it

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The full apothecary for Monnier's Snowparsley

Traditional remedies and step-by-step preparations, a complete growing guide, and how to harvest, dry, and store it, all unlocked with HerbLens Unlimited.

✦Remedies & preparations
✦ Growing guide
✦Harvest & storage

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Pairs well with

✦Sophora root (Kushen)
✦Dittany bark (Bai Xian Pi)
✦Cinnamon bark (Rou Gui)

Substitutes

✦Sophora flavescens (Kushen) for skin washes
✦Dictamnus dasycarpus (Bai Xian Pi) for itching remedies

Choose it when

“When old wisdom calls for a warming, drying remedy for troubled skin and a little extra vitality besides.”

Did you know?

The Chinese name She Chuang Zi translates to snake's bed seeds, a nod to old countryside lore that snakes liked to curl up and rest beneath this low, feathery plant.

Safety

Cnidium seed is traditionally avoided during pregnancy and by anyone with a hormone-sensitive condition, since it may interact with hormonal medications. Topical use can occasionally irritate sensitive skin, so patch test first.