Tshuaj Ntsuab (Plant Medicine): A Compendium of Hmong Medicinal Plants

Blending traditional knowledge and Western science, this collection of family stories, healing recipes, and profiles of plants common in Minnesota celebrates age-old wisdom and cutting-edge research.

During early years in Laos, May Lee trained as a niam tshuaj, a plant-based healer and keeper of herbal plants, a role customarily handed down from mother to eldest daughter. When she fled to Thailand and then the United States in 1980, May brought preserved cuttings, which she eventually cultivated in Minnesota. She passed along her knowledge to daughters Zongxee and Mhonpaj, who likewise became herbalists and farmers.

Among other traditional uses, Hmong medicinal herbs are essential ingredients in a special chicken soup consumed for postpartum healing. In Tshuaj Ntsuab (green medicine), a recipe for this nourishing soup accompanies descriptions of additional cultural practices, herbal remedies, and growing techniques that are part of Hmong oral tradition. Through detailed photographs, botanical information, and scientific research, this compendium profiles forty-four medicinal plants that are important to the culture and diets of Hmong people around the world.

Tshuaj Ntsuab grew out of a five-year collaboration between the Lee family, University of Minnesota Extension, and Dr. Ya Yang's laboratory at the University of Minnesota. The team used DNA sequencing to identify each of the herbs and reviewed published works to better understand what scientists know about these plants. The result is a valuable reference that preserves traditional knowledge for members of the Hmong community and beyond.

Zongxee Lee is a Hmong American herbalist and gardener and a registered nurse. She is the author of 30 Days of Purification: Common Hmong Postpartum Herbs. She learned to care for and use traditional herbs from her mother and grandmother, and she has dedicated her life to documenting and preserving Hmong medicinal herbs. She is currently building a Hmong botanical conservatory. She lives in Roberts, Wisconsin.

Natalie Hoidal is an Extension educator at the University of Minnesota, working with vegetable crops and local foods. She has a master's degree in agronomy from the University of Copenhagen and a bachelor's degree in biology and environmental studies from the University of Minnesota Morris. In her Extension role she supports vegetable farmers to be more sustainable and profitable, reaching growers through newsletters, podcasts, videos, web pages, presentations, and field days. She lives in Northfield, Minnesota.

Alex Crum studies the evolution of plant pigments and what makes plants medicinal. She earned her PhD in the Yang Lab of Plant Evolution at the University of Minnesota; DNA barcoding used to identify plants in this book comprised a chapter of her doctoral dissertation. She also holds a master's degree in biology from Grand Valley State University and a bachelor's degree in biology and biochemistry from the College of St. Scholastica. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota, and is an assistant professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Lindsey Miller supports the communications program for the University of Minnesota Extension fruit and vegetable and horticulture teams. She holds a bachelor of science degree in horticulture and is currently pursuing a degree in environmental science communication. Miller's work--shaped by roles in research, project management, and communications--reflects her commitment to celebrating and advocating for the plant world. Her educational background and nontraditional career path allow her to blend scientific insight with a creative passion for plant photography. She lives in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.