Ge Hua

Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi (syn. P. montana var. lobata, Fabaceae), kudzu, is a vigorous perennial climbing vine native to East Asia, with woody twining stems reaching 20-30 m, large trifoliate leaves with lobed leaflets, and dense racemes of fragrant purple, pea-like flowers in late summer. The medicinal Ge Hua is the dried unopened or just-opened flower bud, picked in summer at peak bloom and dried in the shade to preserve color. The flowers are bluish-purple, butterfly-shaped, and rich in isoflavones (kakkalide, tectoridin, irisolidone) which differ in profile from those of the kudzu root (Ge Gen). In traditional Chinese medicine, Ge Hua is sweet and neutral, entering the spleen and stomach channels; it resolves alcohol toxicity, awakens the spleen, harmonizes the stomach, and stops vomiting, used specifically for hangover, alcohol-induced thirst, vomiting, and damage to the spleen and stomach from chronic alcohol consumption. Kudzu has become an aggressive invasive vine across the southeastern United States.