Snow Lotus (Saussurea involucrata, Kar. & Kir., Sch. Bip.)

Snow Lotus (Saussurea involucrata, Kar. & Kir., Sch. Bip.) is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Asteraceae family and the genus Saussurea. The stems of the Snow Lotus are hairless, and the leaves are oval or ovate-elliptic, with both surfaces being hairless. The uppermost leaves are bract-like and broadly ovate. The flower heads are densely packed into spherical clusters at the top of the stem, with elongated outer layers. The fruit is elongated, and the flowering and fruiting period is from July to September.

Snow Lotus predominantly grows on the snowy plateau, standing tall and elegant, resembling a lotus flower, pure white like jade, hence the name “Snow Lotus.” The plant is native to Xinjiang, China, and is also found in Russia and Kazakhstan. It grows in the crevices of high mountains, near the snow line on icy cliffs and gravel slopes, with extreme cold resistance and a preference for high humidity. The main method of propagation is by seed.

The entire plant of Snow Lotus can be used medicinally and is a common herb among ethnic groups such as the Uyghur. It is sweet and warm, slightly bitter, and enters the liver and kidney meridians. It can dispel wind and dampness, strengthen tendons and bones, tonify kidney yang, regulate menstruation, stop bleeding, and can be applied externally for treating bleeding from injuries. However, it should not be used by pregnant women. Due to its jade-like color, beautiful purple flowers, and fragrant scent, it is regarded as a symbol of love by young men and women.

Morphological Characteristics

Snow Lotus is a perennial herb in the genus Saussurea, growing to a height of 15–35 cm. The rhizome is thick, with the neck surrounded by numerous brown leaves. The stem is sturdy, with a base diameter of 2–3 cm and hairless. The leaves are densely packed, with basal and stem leaves being sessile. The leaf blades are oval or ovate-elliptic, up to 14 cm long and 2–3.5 cm wide, with a blunt or acute tip, base decurrent, with sharp teeth on the margin, and both surfaces are hairless. The uppermost leaves are bract-like, membranous, pale yellow, broadly ovate, 5.5–7 cm long, 2–7 cm wide, surrounding the inflorescence, with sharp teeth on the margin.

The flower heads number 10–20, densely packed into spherical clusters at the top of the stem, with no or short pedicels. The involucre is hemispherical, 1 cm in diameter; involucral bracts are in 3–4 layers, with purple-brown margins or entirely purple-brown, with a sharply pointed tip, and the outer layer sparsely covered with long soft hairs. The outer layer is elongated, 1.1 cm long and 5 mm wide, the middle and inner layers are lanceolate, 1.5–1.8 cm long, and 2 mm wide. The florets are purple, 1.6 cm long, with a tube 7 mm long, and the limb 9 mm long. The achenes are oblong, 3 mm long. The pappus is dirty white, in 2 layers, the outer layer small and rough, 3 mm long, the inner layer long and feathery, 1.5 cm long.

Habitat and Distribution

Snow Lotus is distributed in China, Russia, and Kazakhstan, and within China, it is found in Urumqi, Bogda Mountain, and Heshuo County in Xinjiang. It mainly grows in the weathered zone and rock crevices above the snow line at altitudes of 3600–4800 meters, in gravelly and sandy wetlands, preferring humid and cool environments with intense sunlight. It can germinate and grow normally at temperatures between 5–39°C. During its peak flowering period, it blooms resiliently in the face of cold winds, snow, and scorching sunlight, demonstrating remarkable vitality.

Growth Habits

The flowering and fruiting period is from July to September. The environment where Snow Lotus grows is extremely harsh, often in conditions where other plants cannot survive. Snow Lotus thrives in subzero temperatures and oxygen-deficient conditions, demonstrating strong resilience. This unique survival habit and its distinctive growing environment contribute to its natural rarity and unique medicinal properties.

The yield of Snow Lotus is very low. It takes five years from germination to flowering, with seeds germinating at 0°C and growing at 3–5°C. The seedlings can withstand temperatures as low as -21°C, yet the actual growing period is less than two months. During this brief growing period, Snow Lotus exhibits vigorous vitality, with plant height surpassing that of other plants by five to seven times.

Like other organisms, Snow Lotus requires sunlight, water, and nutrients during its growth. Although it grows in frost-weathered zones, the soil there is still somewhat developed, with the soil formation process mainly dominated by alpine meadows. The soil is rich in humus, with organic matter content generally ranging from 9.5–11%, nitrogen content from 4.5–10%, and good water retention capacity. The annual precipitation is about 500 mm, providing the conditions necessary for the reproduction and growth of higher plants. In such harsh high-altitude conditions, Snow Lotus grows slowly and takes at least 4–5 years to bloom and set seed.

Main Value

The Snow Lotus (Saussurea involucrata) is warm in nature, with a sweet and bitter taste. It enters the liver, spleen, and kidney meridians and has the effects of dispelling cold, invigorating yang, regulating menstruation, and stopping bleeding. It is used to treat impotence, weakness in the waist and knees, menstrual irregularities in women, metrorrhagia and leukorrhea, rheumatoid arthritis, and external injuries with bleeding.

According to the “Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica,” Snow Lotus is described as “extremely hot in nature, capable of replenishing essence and enhancing yang.” The “Xinjiang Materia Medica” records that Snow Lotus is warm and slightly bitter, with the function of dispelling wind and eliminating dampness.

Snow Lotus contains proteins, amino acids, flavonoids, alkaloids, and other compounds. The vitamin C in Snow Lotus can soften blood vessels, prevent aging, remove wrinkles, and reduce lipid accumulation, improving microcirculation. It gives the skin a healthy glow, prevents the carcinogenic process caused by chemicals, achieving anti-cancer, cancer treatment, and life extension effects.

Current Status

Protection Status
In 1996, Snow Lotus was listed as a Class II protected plant in China. It is the only Snow Lotus species included in the “China Plant Red Book” and is classified as a Class III endangered species in China.
In 2000, China issued an explicit ban on the excavation of wild Snow Lotus through Document No. 13 of the State Council.
In 2007, the “List of Key Protected Wild Plants in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (First Batch)” listed Snow Lotus as a Class I key protected wild plant.
In 2021, Snow Lotus was listed as a national Class II protected wild plant in China’s “List of National Key Protected Wild Plants.”

Population Status
Wild Snow Lotus relies on seed reproduction and has a growth period of 6–8 years. If uprooted, Snow Lotus cannot grow back in the same spot.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Snow Lotus could be found on gravelly slopes at an altitude of around 1,800 meters. At that time, the area of Snow Lotus in Xinjiang, China, was about 50 million mu (approximately 33,000 square kilometers), but by 2015, it had dwindled to less than 10 million mu (approximately 6,600 square kilometers).
Every year from July to August, the wild Snow Lotus in the Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang blooms. However, during this time, large numbers of illegal harvesters flock to areas near the snow line at altitudes above 3,000 meters to dig up the plants. Local experts have repeatedly warned that if this behavior is not curbed, Snow Lotus, this precious species, may disappear from the earth in a few years.

Conservation Measures
To address the contradiction between the depletion of Snow Lotus resources and the increasing market demand, it is essential to seek ways to protect and develop Snow Lotus plant resources.
Advances in biotechnology have driven the modernization of medicinal plant resource production methods for Snow Lotus. Utilizing plant tissue culture technology to rapidly propagate rare and endangered medicinal plants like Snow Lotus is an important means of promoting resource regeneration and development, while also protecting the environment.
Cell culture technology, a high-tech method developed internationally in recent years, is also a widely accepted and mature technique. This technology involves cultivating isolated plant organs, tissues, cells, embryos, or protoplasts on an artificially prepared medium under sterile and controlled conditions, leading to the proliferation of tissues or cells according to specific needs.
The advantages of cell culture technology include a fast reproduction rate, short cultivation cycle, environmentally friendly process, small footprint, and the ability to cultivate plants independently of the growing season.
To protect Snow Lotus, the Xinjiang Wild Plant Protection Association’s Snow Lotus Protection Branch has carried out public awareness campaigns in Tianshan pastures and among tourists, aiming to prevent illegal harvesting activities.
The Xinjiang Institute of Physics and Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has also utilized cloning and tissue culture techniques to begin artificial cultivation of Snow Lotus in the Tianshan Pools since 2004. Some of these Snow Lotus plants have already flowered, potentially opening a new avenue to replace wild Snow Lotus for the pharmaceutical market.
According to Article 344 of the “Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China,” illegal logging, destruction of precious trees, or other nationally protected plants, or the illegal purchase, transportation, processing, or sale of precious trees or other nationally protected plants and their products, is punishable by up to three years of imprisonment, criminal detention, or control, and fines; in severe cases, the penalty is three to seven years of imprisonment and fines.
On July 12, 2019, the city of Fukang in Changji Prefecture, Xinjiang, carried out Snow Lotus seedling protection and cultivation work in the Mayashan Scenic Area of the Tianshan Tianchi. The 10,000 artificially planted Snow Lotus plants are growing well.

Plant Culture

Folklore
In the past, highland herdsmen considered encountering Snow Lotus during their travels to be a sign of good fortune and treated it as a sacred object. Legend has it that these snow lotuses were scattered by the fairies while the Queen Mother of the West bathed in the Jade Pool, and the snow peak across at an altitude of over 5,000 meters served as a beautiful mirror. Snow Lotus is regarded as a divine object. Drinking the dew drops from its bracts was believed to ward off evil, cure diseases, and extend life.

Plant Symbolism
Snow Lotus represents pure love, resilience, purity, and brings hope to people.