Pagoda Tree

botanicalleguminosae

What is it

The Japanese pagoda tree ( Styphnolobium japonicum , formerly classified as Sophora japonica ) is a deciduous tree in the legume family Fabaceae, native to China and widely planted across East Asia and as an ornamental in Europe and North America. Its dried flower buds (Huai Hua) and fruits (Huai Jiao) have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, primarily as hemostatic agents. The species is the dominant commercial source of rutin (quercetin-3-O-rutinoside), and its buds also yield quercetin, genistein, sophoricoside, and several oxytocic and antithrombotic flavonoids that drive most modern pharmaceutical and supplement uses.

Evidence for 4 uses

AI-assisted evidence assessment — talk to your doctor before relying on any single supplement.

Chronic venous insufficiency and hemorrhoids (as rutin)

Good

Rutin-containing flavonoid mixtures (often combined with hesperidin) reduce leg edema, heaviness, and pain in chronic venous insufficiency and shorten symptom duration in acute hemorrhoidal disease in multiple randomized trials and pooled analyses. The mechanism involves capillary stabilization, reduced leukocyte-endothelial adhesion, and improved venous tone. Effect sizes are modest but consistent across studies.

Capillary fragility and easy bruising

Limited

Rutin and related bioflavonoids derived from pagoda tree have a long history of use for capillary fragility, with older controlled studies showing reductions in petechiae and ecchymosis in conditions such as purpura and diabetic retinopathy. Contemporary high-quality evidence is limited and outcomes are surrogate rather than clinical.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support

Mixed

Quercetin, rutin, and sophoricoside from pagoda tree show antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in animal models, including inhibition of NF-kB and reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Human clinical evidence for specific anti-inflammatory indications using whole pagoda tree extract is scarce.

Traditional use for bleeding and hemorrhage

Mixed

In traditional Chinese medicine, charred pagoda tree flower buds are used for hematemesis, epistaxis, hemoptysis, and uterine bleeding, attributed to the flavonoid content and possible vasoconstrictive effects. Modern controlled human evidence is essentially absent and the practice should not replace investigation of pathological bleeding.

Dosage

Most Pagoda Tree material in supplements appears as an isolated extract standardized to rutin (typically 95% or higher) rather than as a whole botanical. Typical rutin doses in venoactive products range from 250-1000 mg per day, often combined with other bioflavonoids such as hesperidin or diosmin. Traditional Chinese decoctions of dried buds use 6-10 g of crude drug per day. There is no formally established RDA or upper limit for the whole-plant extract.

Safety

Isolated rutin and pagoda tree extracts are generally well tolerated, with mild gastrointestinal upset, headache, and flushing being the most common adverse effects in venoactive drug trials. Quercetin and related flavonoids in the plant inhibit several CYP isoforms (notably CYP3A4 and CYP2C9) and P-glycoprotein , raising theoretical concerns for interactions with cyclosporine, warfarin, certain statins, and chemotherapy agents at high supplement doses. The plant contains cytisine-like quinolizidine alkaloids and oxytocic constituents ; ingestion of raw seeds or large amounts of crude bark has caused nausea, vomiting, and CNS toxicity, and use during pregnancy is discouraged due to potential uterine stimulation. Avoid in known legume allergy and discontinue before surgery if combined with anticoagulants.

References

  • Wikidata: Styphnolobium japonicum (Q288558) — Wikidata link
  • NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database: Pagoda Tree — DSLD link
  • NCBI Bookshelf - Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed): Rutin — LactMed link

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Evidence-based·How we grade evidence

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This page is educational, not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Evidence grades are AI-assisted assessments — talk to your doctor before starting any new supplement, especially if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, on medications, or managing a chronic condition.