Pumpkin flower, also known as squash flower or pumpkin blossom, is the flower of the pumpkin plant, belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. The flower is apricot-yellow, has a long blooming period, and is monoecious, bearing both male and female flowers on the same plant. Pumpkin flowers are not only edible and can be stir-fried, cold-dressed, or used in soups to create a variety of delicious dishes, but they also have significant medicinal value.
Pumpkin flower is cool in nature and is believed to moisten the lungs, replenish Qi, clear heat and dampness, reduce swelling, and dissipate stasis. It is used for conditions such as jaundice, dysentery, cough, constipation, carbuncles and sores, scrotal eczema, malnutrition, etc. The "Classified Herbal Properties" records: "(Pumpkin flower) treats cough, improves the voice, detoxifies, and relieves chronic, long-standing illnesses." The "Commonly Used Folk Herbal Medicine Collection" also states: "Pumpkin flower has the effects of reducing swelling, clearing heat and dampness, detoxifying, expelling phlegm, and promoting lactation."
Clinically, to relieve cough and expel phlegm, you can take 5 pumpkin flowers, rinse them repeatedly in clean water, drain them, place them in a cup, pour boiling water over them, dissolve a small spoonful of rock sugar, stir well, and drink. For cough and hoarseness, 15 grams of pumpkin flowers can be decocted in water and taken orally. For jaundice, 25 grams of pumpkin flowers can be decocted in water and taken orally. For external use on carbuncles and swelling, an appropriate amount of pumpkin flowers can be pounded into a paste and applied to the affected area.
Modern pharmacological research has confirmed that the rutin in pumpkin flowers promotes blood clotting and prevents bleeding, and can also improve insomnia. The carotene contained in the flower has anti-cancer properties. Studies have found that pumpkin flowers are also very effective as an adjunctive treatment for many inflammatory conditions, such as conjunctivitis and mastitis. Its pollen can relieve fatigue, increase vitality in the elderly, promote growth and intelligence in children, and help the sick and weak recover sooner. It is hailed as a "perfect nutritional food".