Sanqi literally means “the three seven herb,” referring to the fact that the plant tends to form three branches with seven leaves growing on each of them. In addition, peasant wisdom mandates that the root is harvested between 3-7 years of maturity, and grown in conditions that facilitate 3 parts sunlight and 7 parts shade. The plant is thus typically cultivated under black plastic tarps that are easily recognizable when driving through traditional Sanqi territory in Yunnan and Guangxi.
3 year old freshly harvested Sanqi roots, brought to market by local farmers at Sanqi Trading Center. Photo by Classical Chinese Medicine. Image sourced from Classical Chinese Medicine. Available at: https://classicalchinesemedicine.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/sanqi_WEB-300x200.jpg