Weather, Climate Change, and What We’re Watching in the Herb Market
If you have been following the news, you've probably seen headlines about an unusually active typhoon season in the Northwest Pacific this year, which may be one of the most active seasons ever recorded. Several climate factors are at play, including a strengthening El Nino phenomenon, weakening trade winds over the northwest Pacific Ocean, and above average sea surface temperatures. For those of us who work with Chinese herbs, extreme weather is extremely impactful.
This year many regions that grow and supply the herbs we use have experienced heavy rains, flooding, typhoons, and other severe weather. Whenever I see those headlines, my first thought is usually: “What’s happening to the herbs?!?”
It’s not hard to find photos of flooded fields and damaged crops and imagine precious herbs being washed away, but the reality is far more complicated. While some crops may be damaged immediately, and the loss quickly estimated, other impacts may not become apparent until later in the harvest season—or even after the herbs have been harvested and processed. All these factors affect availability, price, and ultimately the quality of the herbs we source and the finished products we supply. Here at Mayway we watch these regions very closely and receive regular updates from our trusted suppliers.
Specific Regions and Herbs We're Watching
Each of the regions affected by this year's weather is an important source of Chinese medicinal herbs. That doesn't mean all of these herbs will be in short supply. Because of the Chinese government's increased efforts to promote Chinese medicine since the pandemic, in many cases, there are multiple growing regions and existing inventories to help buffer the impact.
Here are some of the herbs and regions on our radar as we follow the market over the coming months.
| Anhui | Guangxi | Hebei | Jiangsu | Sandong | Zhejiang |
| Bái Sháo — Paeonia lactiflora 白芍 | Bā Jiǎo Huí Xiāng — Illicium verum 八角茴香 | Bái Zhǐ — Angelica dahurica 白芷 | Bái Jí — Bletilla striata 白及 | Bái Zhú — Atractylodes macrocephala 白朮 | Bái Jí — Bletilla striata 白及 |
| Bái Zhú — Atractylodes macrocephala 白朮 | Chuān Xīn Lián — Andrographis paniculata 穿心蓮 | Bái Zhú — Atractylodes macrocephala 白朮 | Cāng Zhú — Atractylodes lancea 蒼朮 | Bǎn Lán Gēn — Isatis indigotica 板藍根 | Bái Sháo — Paeonia lactiflora 白芍 |
| Bǎn Lán Gēn — Isatis indigotica 板藍根 | Jī Xuè Téng — Spatholobus suberectus 雞血藤 | Chái Hú — Bupleurum chinense 柴胡 | Jú Huā — Chrysanthemum morifolium 菊花 ** | Dān Shēn — Salvia miltiorrhiza 丹參 | Bái Zhú — Atractylodes macrocephala 白朮 |
| Fáng Fēng — Saposhnikovia divaricata 防風 | Lóng Yǎn Ròu — Dimocarpus longan 龍眼肉 | Huáng Qí — Astragalus membranaceus 黃芪 | Qiàn Shí — Euryale ferox 芡實 | Huáng Jīng — Polygonatum sibiricum 黃精 | Huáng Jīng — Polygonatum sibiricum 黃精 |
| Fú Líng — Poria Cocos 茯苓 | Luó Hàn Guǒ — Siraitia grosvenorii 羅漢果 | Huáng Qín — Scutellaria baicalensis 黃芩 | Shè Gān — Belamcanda chinensis射干 | Huáng Qín — Scutellaria baicalensis 黃芩 | Jú Huā — Chrysanthemum morifolium 菊花 |
| Gé Gēn — Pueraria lobata 葛根 | Mò Lì Huā — Jasminum japonica 茉莉花* | Jié Gěng — Platycodon grandiflorus 桔梗 | Yín Xìng Yè — Ginkgo biloba 銀杏葉 | Jīn Yín Huā — Lonicera japonica 金銀花 | Mài Mén Dōng — Ophiopogon japonicus 麥門冬 |
| Huáng Jīng — Polygonatum sibiricum 黃精 | Ròu Guì — Cinnamomum cassia 肉桂 | Jīn Yín Huā — Lonicera japonica 金銀花 | Lián Qiáo — Forsythia suspensa 連翹 | Xuán Shēn — Scrophularia ningpoensis 玄參 | |
| Mǔ Dān Pí — Paeonia suffruticosa 牡丹皮 | Tiān Mén Dōng — Asparagus cochinchinensis 天門冬 | Lián Qiáo — Forsythia suspensa 連翹 | Pú Gōng Yīng — Taraxacum officinale 蒲公英 | Yán Hú Suǒ — Corydalis yanhusuo 延胡索 | |
| Mù Guā — Chaenomeles speciosa 木瓜 | Yù Jīn — Curcuma longa 郁金 | Suān Zǎo Rén — Ziziphus spinosa 酸棗仁 | Suān Zǎo Rén — Ziziphus spinosa 酸棗仁 | Yù Jīn — Curcuma longa 郁金 | |
| Tiān Má — Gastrodia elata 天麻 | Yì Mǔ Cǎo — Leonurus japonicus 益母草 | Zhè Bèi Mǔ — Fritillaria thunbergii 浙貝母 | |||
| Tiān Mén Dōng — Asparagus cochinchinensis 天門冬 | Yù Zhú — Polygonatum odoratum 玉竹 |
* We have already seen reports that this year's strong winds and heavy rains have affected the jasmine crop. A smaller crop could mean tighter supplies of fresh jasmine flowers and potentially less jasmine tea available this year.
**Jiangsu is a particularly important region for Jú Huā (Chrysanthemum Flower) and supplies a significant share of the market.
Again, the good news is that some herbs are grown in multiple regions, which can help reduce the impact of bad weather in any one area. There is also inventory from previous harvests already in the supply chain, and these factors should help curb huge fluctuations in the marketplace. So, for now, we are watching rather than predicting as we await harvests, the processing of crops, and developing market conditions.
Here’s an Update from our Partners at Hebei Meiwei
"The overall market trend in 2026 has largely continued from last year. Although demand has been on the decline, high herb prices in previous years encouraged increased cultivation and production, and now that additional supply is gradually coming onto the market. As a result, the herbal market has generally stabilized at a low point this year. However, the weather conditions have been unusual, with above-average rainfall leading to expectations of price fluctuations for certain herbs. In addition, some investors holding inventory have been attempting to speculate on the market, which has pushed prices of certain items upward. Overall, though, market conditions have not changed significantly. Prices continue to fluctuate within a relatively low range, and the magnitude of those fluctuations remains limited.
For us, the national centralized procurement program for Chinese herbs may currently have an even greater impact on market prices. The procurement program specifies which products and grades can be used and provides estimated purchase volumes. For herbs with strong demand, if available market inventories are limited, prices can rise significantly. On the other hand, the procurement program sets very low winning bid price caps. As a result, manufacturers with access to less-scarce raw materials tend to purchase aggressively at lower prices, which can put downward pressure on market prices."
Is Climate Change Affecting the Quality of Herbs?
This year’s weather got us thinking about the larger questions. For years, we’ve navigated changes in the TCM herb market despite environmental and market challenges impacting our ability to source herbs that consistently meet our standards and specifications. Of course, as any farmer will tell you, the obvious unpredictability of climate and weather always raises concerns about crop damage, drought, flooding, and reduced harvests. But plants are ever resilient and respond to their environment in much more complicated ways.
We recently came across an excellent research article that explores how climate-related changes and stressors can affect medicinal plants at many different levels – from how they grow to how they respond chemically to changes in their environment. These responses help plants adapt and survive, while also influencing how they produce and store different chemical compounds that may ultimately affect the constituents that make a medicinal plant useful.
One example discussed in the research involves Huo Xiang (Pogostemon cablin). Temperature fluctuations were associated with changes in genes involved in essential oil production and reduced levels of patchouli alcohol. Another example discussed is Huang Qin (Scutellaria baicalensis), where it was shown that moderate drought caused some flavonoids to increase while more severe drought can have the opposite effect. Although that doesn't mean every weather event will change an herb's chemical profile, it does mean that the relationship between environment and plant chemistry is worth paying attention to.
The research also shows that what happens underground matters, too. The soil surrounding a plant is a living environment, and plant roots interact with fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms that play important roles in plant growth and nutrient availability. Severe drought, excessive moisture, and other environmental stresses can change soil conditions and disrupt these microbial communities. For the full article, see the Resources section below.
It is obvious that a plant’s response can depend on the species, variety, location, timing, and severity of environmental stressors. This is one reason why it is difficult to make broad predictions about what climate change will mean for medicinal herbs. With temperature and rainfall patterns changing, over time some areas may become less suitable for particular crops, while other areas may become more favorable. Wild-collected herbs present another challenge. Changes in habitat, competition from other plants, and environmental stress can all affect wild populations.
What Does This Mean for Mayway and our Community?
For us, it’s about staying the course. Authentic and ethical sourcing is about knowing not only our suppliers and the geoauthenticity of the herbs we are purchasing, but also adhering to rigorous testing, inspection and evaluation practices. to make sure they meet our specifications and those of the Chinese Pharmacopeia.
Rest assured that we will continue to closely monitor and navigate these and all market challenges; working diligently with our suppliers to ensure we are providing you with the high-quality products you and your patients rely on.
Resources
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13364445/
- Cheng Y, Zhang Z. Climate Change Threats to Medicinal Plants: Progress in Impact Assessments and Implications for Pharmaceutical Sustainability. Plants (Basel). 2026 Jun 29;15(13):2009. doi: 10.3390/plants15132009. PMID: 42452215; PMCID: PMC13364445.
- https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/storms-dolphin-soak-chinas-east-disrupt-life-shanghai-2026-08-10/
- https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/world/asia/china-flooding-typhoon-maysak.html
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/9/flooding-from-tropical-storm-maysak-kills-39-in-southern-china
