Rhodiola sachalinensis (Alpine Rhodiola)

Alpine Rhodiola

　　 Alpine Rhodiola is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Crassulaceae family, in the genus Rhodiola. Its roots and stems are primarily used for medicinal purposes. The main components include salidroside and rosavin, along with starch, protein, fat, tannins, flavonoid compounds, trace volatile oils, as well as trace elements such as iron, zinc, tin, molybdenum, and manganese. It is mainly used to treat sexual dysfunction, diabetes, low blood pressure, and other conditions. As a result, it has been regarded abroad as an “adaptogen”-like medicine, and is widely used to combat fatigue, resist aging, and enhance both mental and physical performance.     Linjiang City was among the first to cultivate Rhodiola in the 1980s, developing a relatively large planting area, and thus earned the reputation as the “Hometown of Rhodiola.” However, due to market issues, the planting area gradually decreased. Currently, the remaining cultivation area in the city is 734 mu, yielding 60,000 kilograms of dried product. (Baishan)

　　Linjiang City is located in the southeastern part of Jilin Province. Approved by the State Council in 1999, it is a municipal-level administrative division situated in the heart of the Changbai Mountains and along the Yalu River. It serves as the political, economic, and cultural center for the middle and upper reaches of the Yalu River, facing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea across the river, with a border stretching 146 kilometers. The city covers an area of 3,008.5 square kilometers and has a population of 185,000. Linjiang is known as the “Three-Dimensional Resource Treasury of the Changbai Mountains,” boasting extremely rich natural resources. The city has exceptional forestry resources as well as abundant wildlife and plant resources. It has 228,000 hectares of forested land, with a forest coverage rate of over 80%, and standing timber volume reaching 26.43 million cubic meters. There are more than 250 species of wild animals, including deer, marten, and black bears, and over 100 species of wild plants, such as ginseng, gastrodia elata, asarum, fritillaria, codonopsis, and Alpine Rhodiola. Among these, Alpine Rhodiola is a specialty of Linjiang. Over the years, significant achievements have been made in its artificial cultivation and development, forming a preliminary integrated system of cultivation, breeding, and processing. It has been awarded the title of “Hometown of Alpine Rhodiola in China” by the National Forestry Ministry and China Specialties Newspaper. The remaining Alpine Rhodiola cultivation area in Linjiang City is 326 mu, mainly distributed in Dongbeicha Township, Baoshan Town, Huashu Town, and Jiayaying Township. In 1999, the annual yield of dried product was 12,900 kilograms.

　　　　Alpine Rhodiola is primarily used medicinally through its roots and rhizomes, though the entire plant can be utilized, making it a promising medicinal plant developed in recent years. During the Qing Dynasty, it was used as a tribute to the imperial court and was honored by Emperor Kangxi as the “Herb Bestowed by Immortals.” Its main active ingredients include salidroside, along with trace bioactive elements such as iron, aluminum, zinc, silver, cobalt, cadmium, titanium, molybdenum, and manganese. Its leaves also contain small amounts of alkaloids. Domestically and internationally, it is used as a tonic to address age-related heart conditions, fatigue resistance, sedation, and diabetes. In the 1960s, the I.I. Mechnikov Military Medical Academy in the Soviet Union discovered Rhodiola while searching for performance enhancers, proposing that it has an “adaptogen”-like effect similar to the traditional Chinese medicine concept of “strengthening the body’s foundation.” In Soviet folk medicine, Rhodiola was used as a tonic for conditions such as weakness and diabetes. In recent years, the Soviet Union developed various Rhodiola extracts and preparations, which were widely used among astronauts, pilots, divers, and athletes. In China, Rhodiola is used as a primary ingredient in beverages. For example, the Jing Tian Wang drink produced by Jilin Xinyisheng Bio-Pharmaceutical Company is processed from Rhodiola and serves as a high-end health supplement integrating disease prevention, fitness, wellness, and longevity. It has special effects such as regulating blood pressure, moistening lungs and resolving phlegm, strengthening kidneys and enhancing vitality, refreshing the mind and improving intelligence, and promoting hair growth.

　　　　Alpine Rhodiola is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Crassulaceae family, in the genus Rhodiola. It has thick, branched roots and upright, greenish-white stems. The leaves are alternate, sessile, and oblong-lanceolate in shape. The inflorescence is a dense corymb at the top, with yellow or yellow-green flowers. The flowering period is from June to July, and the fruiting period is from July to August. It grows in alpine meadows, under dwarf birch forests, and near rocks in valleys. Alpine Rhodiola is a wild plant that thrives in the harsh and climatically variable tundra zone at altitudes of 1,700 to 2,500 meters. It possesses extremely strong vitality, endowed by nature with unique functions not found in other plants.