Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.
Albizia julibrissin is a small flowering tree, often called the silk tree or mimosa tree. In Chinese herbal medicine the bark is called he huan pi and the flowers he huan hua. Both were given as calming remedies for low mood and poor sleep.
The plant grows across East Asia and is now common as an ornamental tree in the United States and southern Europe. The parts used are the dried bark and the dried flower heads. Seeds and pods are not used as medicine, and they have poisoned grazing animals.
Here is the honest verdict on evidence. Almost all research is in cells and in animals, and good human trials are very scarce. Long traditional use is not proof that a remedy works, and it is not proof that it is safe.
The name "mimosa" is shared by other plants, such as Mimosa pudica and Albizia lebbec. These are different plants with different uses. Check the Latin name on any product label.
No one has shown how this plant works in people. The ideas below come from the laboratory bench, not from patients.
In rodent studies, bark and flower extracts have calmed behaviour and reduced signs of stress. Some of that work points to changes in serotonin, a brain chemical linked to mood. Animal brains are not human brains, and these results have not been matched in people.
In cell studies, the soapy compounds called julibrosides slow the growth of some tumour cells. This is a very early finding. It says nothing about treating cancer in a person.
In test tubes, extracts appear to damp some markers of swelling (inflammation). Whether that happens in the human body is not known.
Traditional teachers explained the herb in their own terms. They said it "calmed the spirit" and moved stuck blood after a bruise or fall. That is a traditional idea, not a tested mechanism.
The common forms are simple and easy to find online.
- Dried bark strips, simmered as a decoction (a strong boiled tea). - Dried flower heads, steeped as a tea.
- Powdered bark in capsules or tablets. - Liquid tinctures made with alcohol. - Mixed Chinese formulas, where it sits alongside other herbs.
The bark and the flower were treated as two different medicines in tradition. Bark was the choice for grief and injury. Flowers were used more for restless sleep.
Some shops sell "mimosa bark" without a Latin name. That is a problem, because other plants share the name.
Chinese doctors recorded this bark more than a thousand years ago. Early herbals listed he huan pi among the gentler, everyday herbs.
It was classically given for grief, anger and a heavy mood after loss. The flowers were used for broken sleep and irritable moods. Healers also applied the bark for bruises, swelling and slow-healing sores.
The tree spread to Western gardens in the eighteenth century. Western herbalists picked up the calming uses much later, mostly from Chinese sources. None of this history tells you whether the herb is safe or useful for you.
Stop taking it and see a doctor if you get a rash, itching or swelling of the face or lips.
Get urgent care for trouble breathing, yellow eyes or skin, dark urine, severe stomach pain, or deep drowsiness you cannot shake off.
See your doctor promptly if your mood drops further, or if sleep gets worse. Go to an emergency department straight away if you have thoughts of harming yourself.
In the United States it is sold as a dietary supplement, so it is not checked for strength or effect before sale. In the UK and EU it is sold as a food supplement and is not an approved medicine. It is a listed herb in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
What it is typically used for, usual dose, cautions, and the study behind it where real trial data exists.
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