Platycladus orientalis leaves, also known as Platycladus orientalis leaves, Cupressus orientalis leaves, Platycladus orientalis leaves, etc., are the tender branches and leaves of Platycladus orientalis, an evergreen plant of Cupressaceae. Modern people regard Platycladus orientalis as a greening ornamental plant, but little is known about its health value.

In ancient times, the tender branches and leaves of Platycladus orientalis were highly regarded by Taoism as the top grade for prolonging life. In the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica is the foundation of longevity, so it can be taken orally. The record that Taoism often drinks soup with it makes an authoritative summary of the dietotherapy and health preservation value of Platycladus orientalis leaves. Platycladus orientalis is also a good medicine for treating blood that doctors attach importance to. Chinese medicine believes that the leaves of Platycladus orientalis are bitter, slightly cold and nontoxic, and enter the heart, liver and intestines. It has the functions of cooling blood, stopping bleeding, eliminating internal dampness and dispersing swelling and toxin. Can be used for treating hematemesis, nosebleed, hematuria, bloody dysentery, metrorrhagia, rheumatalgia, cough, scald, etc. Tao Hongjing's "A Record of Famous Doctors" said: It can make people fit and benefit qi, which can resist cold and heat, remove dampness and stop hunger. Platycladus orientalis leaves are used equally with Cirsium japonicum and Radix Rehmanniae, and can be used to treat various bleeding due to heat. It can be used together with Folium Artemisiae Argyi and Rhizoma Zingiberis Preparata to treat gastric and duodenal ulcer bleeding due to deficiency-cold syndrome. Traumatic bleeding can be pounded with fresh Platycladus orientalis leaves for external application. Platycladus orientalis leaves can be used together with Polygonum Multiflori Radix, Ligustrum Lucidum and Radix Rehmanniae to treat liver and kidney deficiency and premature graying of hair in middle-aged and elderly people. It can also be used to treat seborrheic dermatitis by soaking in fresh wine.

Modern medical research provides strong evidence for the dietotherapy and health-preserving efficacy of Platycladus orientalis leaves. The leaves of Platycladus orientalis contain volatile oil, including junichiric acid, Platycladone, etc., as well as health-care components such as eugenol, conifer bitterness, tannin resin and vitamin C. Pharmacological experiments show that Platycladus orientalis leaves have obvious antitussive effect, and have obvious inhibitory effects on pneumococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus albicans and Shigella sonnei. And it can also shorten the bleeding and coagulation time. It has certain curative effect on pneumonia, dysentery, hypertension and other diseases.