Why do some herbs look radically different from what I have been getting in the past from Mayway and/or other suppliers?
Although in some cases it may be due to proprietary Plum Flower™ cutting and processing methods (see question below), most likely it is due to the herb being of a different species. We believe it is important for us to promote the use of the correct species of herbs as specified in the PRC's Pharmacopoeia and Materia Medica, as these are the herbs practitioners are taught to prescribe. In the U.S., many southern Chinese species have been substituted due to the large number of southern Chinese doctors, teachers, and importers of Chinese herbs. Although in many cases the actions and indications of the substitutes are similar, in some cases they are only superficially alike, and thus potentially ineffective or even harmful. Please feel free to check with us whenever you are unsure.