Indigo / Baptisia

Baptisia (Da Qing Ye)Indigo / Baptisia (Da Qing Ye)

Botanical Name: Western – Baptisia Australis (False Indigo), B. Tinctoria (Wild Indigo). Eastern – Isatis tinctoria L.

Indigo / Baptisia has long been a beautiful ornamental garden flower as well as having a history for being a strong medicinal herb often used to fight difficult feverish and infectious illnesses.

Below is an overview of Baptisia (Da Qing Ye), combining and interpreting the best of Western Science, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Shamanism, Folklore and more. Gain a balanced and thorough understanding of the healing properties of Baptisia (Da Qing Ye).

Have we sparked your interest?

Sign up, FREE, for access to all of WRI Healing Herb Fact Sheets and Exclusive Member Only Offers! Your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Find Out More!

Take full advantage of the healing powers of herbs! What do they treat? How can they be used? Get an Eastern and Western perspective about how and why healing herbs works. Get recipes, gardening tips, insights, and much, much more.

Western

Western Name: Indigo / Baptisia

Also Known As: Blue Wild Indigo, False Indigo

Organs/Systems: Lungs, Wounds, Stomach, Blood, Body Fluids

Key Actions: Antiseptic, Immuno-stimulative, Astringent, Antimicrobial, Anticatarrhal, Febrifuge, Alterative, Emetic, Purgative (in high doses), Laxative, Emmenagogue, Estrogenic

Medicinal Uses: Sore throats, snake bites, bruises, superficial lacerations, respiratory tract infections, sore nipples, erysipelatous, scrofulous, syphilitic ulcers, heals wounds, tonsillitis, mild cardiac agent.

Eastern

Pin Yin: Da Qing Ye (Isatis tinctoria L.)

Also Known As: Big Green Leaf, Woad Leaf, Indigo

Meridians: Heart, Lung, Stomach

Key Actions: Clears Heat, Relieves Toxicity, Clears Deficient Heat in Shao Yang stage, Cools Blood, Reduces Blotches

Medicinal Uses: Warm febrile diseases, epidemic febrile outbreak (especially if Lung related) malaria, scarlet fever, laryngitis, skin disorders due to Heat often with fever and changes in consciousness.

Basic Habitat/Botany:

Indigo is an herbaceous perennial containing about 35 different genus in the legume (pea) family. It has an upright shrubby form with flowering spikes, seed pods and foliage that is pest resistant. The leaves are clover-like trifoliate with blue-green coloring and it has pea-like blossoms, that are followed by seed pods that turn black.

Native to North America, it is common in gardens and thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. It is found in the prairie lands, woodlands and grasslands of eastern and southern North America. Chinese Indigo is cultivated throughout China, including Beijing.

Baptisia (Da Qing Ye)Parts Most Frequently Used: Root, Leaf

Flavors/Temps: Bitter, Very Cold, a bit Acrid, and a bit Astringent.

Caution: Wild indigo (B.Tinctoria) is considered toxic. Large doses are known to be dangerous, acting as an emeto-cathartic.

History/Folklore: Indigo is an excellent astringent, making it useful for dressing all kinds of ulcerations, malignant ulcers, and sore mouths (especially when accompanied by foul breath, loss of appetite and general gastric disturbance).

Indigo tea will improve the flow of bile, induce nausea and vomiting while reducing fever and stimulating bowels.

Native Americans used the roots of indigo for creating emetic (causes vomiting) and laxative teas. The roots can also be used to reduce inflammation and aching teeth. The Mohegan tribe of south New England cultivated the root for a medicine to wash gaping wounds with.

Prior to 1837 Indigo was used by Eclectic physicians for treating diarrhea with offensive discharges, typhus fever, scarlatina maligna, and putrid sore throat. Wild indigo was a favorite herb with antiseptic properties used by these early Eclectics. It was mentioned early in the 20th century by Dr. James Thacher, in his Dispensatory, as a local remedy for gangrenous and other ill-conditioned sores due to debilitated conditions of the body. Still it received little attention until the “Eclectic fathers,” in their studies of indigenous plants, pronounced it a valuable drug. In 1846, Prof. John King highly recommended Indigo for its alterative and antiseptic properties. At some stage in the early 19th century, the US Pharmacopoeia approved wild indigo extracts to help treat typhoid fever.

Indigo is an active and efficient hepatic, stimulating the liver and causing increased biliary secretion. It is especially effective treating sepsis, accompanied by dark or purplish discoloration of skin and mucous membranes. The appearance of the face will be swollen, dusky, and expressionless—as if it has been exposed to cold for a long time.

Indigo is not the remedy for acute disease characterized by great activity. It is better for cases showing marked capillary feebleness, with tendency to ulceration—a condition of atony.

Often combined with Echinacea to cure chronic viral conditions or chronic fatigue syndrome. Add myrrh to aid infections and wound healing. Disorders relating to the lymph are best blended with cleavers and poke root.

The bitter flavor is due to the constituent baptisin.

The isoflavone (genistein) found in Indigo is responsible for the herbs estrogenic properties.

When the australis sap found in indigo hits the air it turns purple and is used for dying.

The roots are dug out in the fall after the plant has stopped flowering.

Key Constituents:

Alkaloids, Glycoprotein, Oleo-resin, Isoflavones (Genistein), Flavonoids, Coumarins, Polysaccharides, Baptisin.
Did you know?

False Indigo

False indigo (Baptisia Australis) is often substituted for wild indigo (B. Tinctoria) because it is cheaper and much easier to grow.
Facts

Loses Efficacy

Indigo can lose much of its efficacy when it is dried or boiled.
Fun fact!

As a Dye

False indigo (Baptisia Australis) produces an inferior dye to wild indigo (B. Tinctoria), which has been used for over 4,000 years to produce superior indigo colored dye.

FREE Trial!

Get a NEW Healing Herb Fact Sheet each week!

Sign up for immediate access to your first Healing Herb Fact Sheet and a one month free trial. Find out for yourself why over 50,000 people have already signed up.

Sign Up Now

Choose the Right Herbs for You!

Take FULL Advantage of the Healing Powers of Herbs!

Our Healing Herb Library is a collection of How to Use Herb Health Sessions that guide you through individual herbs, helping you to take full advantage of each herb’s unique healing powers.

Learn More

Flower Your World with Healing Herb Fact Sheets!

Get 300+ Fact Sheets,
Right Now!

Get IMMEDIATE access to Our Complete Collection of 6 eBook Volumes containing 300+ Healing Herb Fact Sheets.

Learn More

Want to Learn More?

Join us for FREE to receive Special Offers and updates about our upcoming courses, FREE materials and more.
 
Join, FREE!

Disclosure: If you purchase from some links on this web page, we may receive some kind of affiliate commission. However, we only ever mention products we would recommend whether we were being compensated or not. Thank you so much for your support of White Rabbit Institute of Healing!

ATTENTION: All material provided on this website is for informational or educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your healthcare professional or physician. Redistribution permitted with attribution. Be Healthy. Be Happy. Be Whole. Be Free.

ATENCIÓN: Todo el material proporcionado en este sitio web es sólo con fines informativos o educativos. No es sustituto del consejo de su profesional de la salud o médico. Esté sano. Sea feliz. Siéntase completo. Sea libre.

Health Break: Detox, Strengthen & Cleanse

Join our next 30-Day “Love Your Liver” Detox Challenge!

A Health Boost and Reset to Balance Body, Mind, & Spirit Using Traditional Chinese Medicine. You'll also recieve our Free Healing Herb Fact Sheets and latest news. Your privacy is guaranteed.

Thank you, you have joined our wait list! We'll let you know when our next 30-Day “Love Your Liver” Detox Challenge is open.

Healing Herb Fact Sheets

Download. Print. Share.

Complete the form below for immediate access to ALL our Herb Fact Sheets.

Thank you for joining us! Please check your email for details on how to access our free Healing Herb Fact Sheets. Be sure to check your spam folder and promotions tab if you have one.

You have Successfully Subscribed!