Lian qiao / weeping forsythia
Forsythia suspensa
Other names: 连翘 / 連翹 liánqiào, Lian qiao / weeping forsythia
Photo credit: KENPEI (Wikimedia Commons)
Safety information
Safety information
Toxicity: Generally low-toxicity at traditional doses; comprehensive human safety data limited.
Contraindications: Traditional caution in spleen-deficiency diarrhea; pregnancy/clinical data limited.
Interactions: Not well characterized.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Data limited.
Evidence level
Supported by laboratory or animal studies; not yet confirmed in humans.
Preparations
decoction · fruit
Part used: fruit
Traditional use: clearing heat and resolving toxicity, dispersing wind-heat, reducing swellings/nodules (early warm-disease/cold patterns)
Proposed mechanism: lignans (forsythiaside, phillyrin/forsythin), triterpenes
extract · fruit
Part used: fruit
Traditional use: antibacterial/antiviral/anti-inflammatory/antipyretic (lab/animal)
Associated conditions
Nutritional notes
Not a nutritional food; lignans and phenylethanoid glycosides.
Healing traditions
Sources (2)
- Forsythia suspensa (Wikipedia), English, accessed 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forsythia_suspensa
- Forsythia - Drugs.com natural database, English, https://www.drugs.com/npp/forsythia.html