What is Cao Guo?
Cao Guo is the dried ripe fruit of
Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemaire, a plant of the
ginger family. Harvested in autumn when the fruit is ripe, remove impurities, sun-dried or dried at low temperature.

Morphological characteristics of Cao Guo
Cao Guo is a perennial herb with caespitose stems up to 3 m tall, the whole plant has a pungent aroma and the underground parts slightly resemble ginger.
Leaf blade oblong-elliptic or oblong, 40-70 cm long, 10-20 cm wide, apically acuminate, base attenuate, margin scarious, both surfaces smooth and glabrous, sessile or short-stalked, ligule entire, apically obtuse-rounded, 0.8-1.2 cm long.
Spikes unbranched, 13-18 cm long, ca. 5 cm wide, with ca. 5-30 flowers per inflorescence; involucral pedicels 10 cm or longer, densely scaly, scales oblong or long elliptic, 5.5-7 cm long, 2.3-3.5 cm wide, apically rounded, leathery, brown when dry; bracts lanceolate, ca. 4 cm long, 0.6 cm wide, apically acuminate; bracteoles tubular, 3 cm, 0.7 cm wide, divided to the middle on one side, apically 2-3-toothed, calyx tube about as long as the bracteoles, apically obtusely tridentate; corolla red, tube 2.5 cm long, lobes oblong, ca. 2 cm long, ca. 0.4 cm wide; labellum elliptic, ca. 2.7 cm long, 1.4 cm wide, apically denticulate; anthers 1.3 cm long, connective appendages 3-lobed, 4 mm long, 11 mm wide. middle lobe tetragonal, both lobes slightly narrower.
Capsule dense, red when ripe, brown when dry, indehiscent, oblong or oblong-ellipsoid, 2.5-4.5 cm long, ca. 2 cm wide, glabrous, apically with persistent style remnants, with crinkled longitudinal lines when dry, fruiting pedicels 2-5 mm long, often with persistent bracts at the base, seeds polygonal, 4-6 mm in diameter, strongly scented. Fl.: Apr-Jun; fr.
Growth environment of Cao Guo

Cao Guo likes warm and humid climate, is afraid of heat, drought, frost, the average annual temperature of 15-20 ℃, suitable for growth in a sparse tree (about 40% of the transparency) environment, to 1000-2000 meters above sea level, shade about 50%-60% of the forest or streamside moist well-drained valley slope shady areas, loose and fertile, rich in humus sandy loam soil cultivation is appropriate.
Caoguo is mainly produced in Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou and other provinces, and likes cool, moist climate, generally grows or wild in sparse forests at an altitude of 1100~1800 m. When cultivating, choose a well-drained shady area, and the soil should be loose and fertile, rich in humus sandy soil. The propagation of herbaceous fruits is by seed and by division, and the fruits are harvested in autumn when they are ripe, removed from impurities, and dried in the sun or at low temperature.
How to reproduce Cao Guo?
Tsaoko amomum
Cao Guo is propagated by seeds and plants. The fruits are harvested in autumn when they are ripe, removed from impurities and dried in the sun or at low temperature.
Seed propagation
Seed propagation selects a strong, high-yielding mother plant, harvested when the skin is purple-red and the fruit is fully mature. The harvested fruit is peeled off the skin, soaked for about 10 hours, rubbed with coarse sand to wipe away the surface gum layer, and then sown, usually in September-October or February-March of the second year.
Propagation by division
Caoguo can also be propagated by dividing 1-year-old rhizomes with buds from the mother plant.
Cultivation techniques of Cao Guo

Cao Guo herb
Land selection
Before planting Cao Guo, you need to select a fertile valley or streamside, cut down excessive trees, control the shade to 50%, remove weeds, and turn over the ground to break up the soil.
Planting
The planting site should be a moist, fertile land with shade at the edge of the forest and the edge of the ditch. After a period of weathering, you can dig holes about 13 cm wide and 7-10 cm deep at a spacing of 1.3-1.7 m. Hold the seedlings in the holes and cover them with soil for compaction. Most of the subplanting is done around the spring equinox.
Weeding
Weeding is carried out from April to June and from October to December after fruit harvesting, preventing trampling on rhizomes and above-ground stems when weeding.
Soil cultivation
Cultivate the soil before flowering to make the young shoots grow strong. If the roots are found to be bare, cultivate the fertilized soil to facilitate the absorption of nutrients by the roots.
Drainage and irrigation
During the flowering season, if there is too much rain, it will cause rotten flowers; on the contrary, if it is too dry, the flowers will easily dry up and cause yield reduction. Therefore, in case of drought, water should be diverted for irrigation if possible. If there is too much rain, drainage should be done to remove weeds and reduce humidity to reduce bud rot. In the flowering season, if it can rain once in May-July, it is beneficial to the fruit and fruit preservation, and the yield is also high.
Renewal pruning
Caoguo leaves should be renewed every year and the old dead plants should be cut out in time for the new plant to grow. Pruning can be properly harvested some over-dense branches, leaves, used for essential oil production. Pruning leaf harvesting time in October-November after the fruit harvest.
Cao Guo benefits

Drying dampness and resolving phlegm, regulating Qi and eliminating food, dispelling cold and relieving pain
Cao Guo is the dried and ripe fruit of fructus tsaoko, a perennial herb born in the forest under the ditch, which is distributed in Guangxi and southern Yunnan. The fruit is harvested when it is ripe and reddish brown, dried in the sun or dried, or scalded with boiling water for 2~3 minutes, and then dried or dried. Cao Guo herb is a dual-use substance, with more edible than medicinal use. It has the effect of drying dampness and resolving phlegm, regulating qi and eliminating food, dispelling cold and relieving pain.
Drying dampness and resolving phlegm
Cao Guo is often used together with Nan Xing, Semen, Poria, has the effect of drying dampness and resolving phlegm, can be used to treat phlegm and drink accumulation, headache and back pain, vomiting and other diseases.
Warming and stopping vomiting
Caoguo is often used with Chen Pi, Hou Pu, Atractylodes, has the effect of warming to stop vomiting, can be used to treat the accumulation of phlegm and drink, gulp acidity, regurgitation and vomiting.
Regulating Qi and eliminating food
Tsaoko fruit is often used in combination with gynostemma, Hou Po, Chen Pi, which has the effect of warming the middle and dispelling cold, regulating qi and eliminating food, and can be used to treat cold and dampness stagnation, gastric distention, nausea or vomiting, vomit with sour and rotten odor, etc.
Dispelling cold and relieving pain
Cao Guo substitute is often used together with Ding Xiang, Houpo and galangal, which has the effect of dispelling cold and relieving pain, and can be used to treat cold and dampness, cold hands and feet, swelling all over the body, cold pain in the heart and abdomen.
Cao Guo side effects

a. Cao Guo is a warm seasoning with strong stimulating properties. If you eat a lot of it cooked dishes for a long time, it is easy to cause the body volume of heat, triggering the symptoms of fire.
b. Cao Guo spice in small amounts in the ingredients together with cooking can be fishy in addition to stink, so that the food taste better, but if the stew is put too much, the fragrance will cover the original dish taste, become unpalatable.
c. Caoguo usually greatly depletes the Yang, so the elderly is not suitable to eat Cao Guo herb.
d. People with qi deficiency or blood deficiency weakness, do not eat more tsaoko, so as not to deplete the vital energy, Yin deficiency fire people also cannot take Cao Guo, to prevent warm and dry injury to Yin.
Cao Guo TCM
Medicinal parts | The dried ripe fruit of the plant. |
Nature and taste | Pungent in taste and warm in nature. |
Induction meridian | Cao Guo belongs to the spleen and stomach meridians. |
Effects | Drying dampness, warming the middle, intercepting malaria and removing phlegm. |
Main treatment | For internal blockage of cold and dampness, distension and pain in the abdomen and stomach, fullness and vomiting, malaria and fever, plague and fever. |
Usage and dosage | 3g to 6g. |
Contraindications | Use with caution in cases of Yin deficiency and blood dryness. |
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