TCM Herbal Therapy in Victoria BC: Golden Flower Update & New Herbal Options for 2026
- Kristy Garry
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
A Transition, a Surprise, and a Beautiful New Line of Herbs
Good and bad news on the herbal front. It’s funny — just about two weeks ago I sent out a newsletter expressing how excited I was to have grown my Golden Flower formulary to over 70 formulas in the past year. I finally felt like I had this incredibly solid foundation of options for treating just about anything that walked through my clinic door.
Cut to the next week, when I received an email from my supply company letting me know that Golden Flower herbs will no longer be available in Canada. Talk about a knife to the heart!
Why, you ask? Well, Golden Flower has been in the process of switching manufacturers, which means all of their formulas need to be relicensed through Health Canada. Unfortunately, the new manufacturer wasn’t able — or willing — to meet Health Canada’s requirements. As a result, whatever stock is currently in Canada from the old manufacturer will be the last of it. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. I did what I could to scoop up extra stock this week, but most of it had already sold out after practitioners heard the news.
It was initially disappointing, especially because these formulas have been such a reliable part of my practice for the past 20 years. But every cloud has a silver lining, and this one arrived surprisingly quickly.
In looking for alternatives, I discovered that a new line of very high‑quality herbs — Treasures of the East — has recently become available in Canada. Eastern Currents (my supply company) has a preliminary selection of formulas, and it sounds like more will be arriving over the next month as licensing continues. They also carry a full range of single herbs, which means formulas can be modified or customized when needed. That flexibility has great potential in the clinic.
I ordered several formulas for myself to test personally, and they just arrived today. Had my first taste and I’m impressed! One of the things I love about this line is that the herbs come in granule form. That means you can actually taste the medicine. In TCM herbalism, flavour isn’t just a sensory detail — it’s part of the therapeutic action. When you swallow a tablet, you lose an aspect of the medicine - that direct interaction with the flavour of the herbs. With granules, you get to experience the formula in a more traditional, embodied way, and that can make a meaningful difference in how the body responds. The granules essentially taste the same as decocting the herbs yourself on the stove — but with none of the work or the “herbal aroma” filling your entire house.
They remind me of my old and very beloved brand, KPC — a high‑quality Taiwanese line that sadly also became unavailable in Canada several years ago — except these ones dissolve even better in the cup. KPC herbs always left a residue at the bottom, and I’d have to warn patients to keep stirring so they didn’t waste any valuable herbs. Today when I drank the formula: no residue, incredible flavour, and overall very good Qì 气 — that bright, harmonious, “everything is moving the way it should” feeling.
So while I’m sad to see Golden Flower’s availability change, it’s not quite a goodbye — not yet. I still have all my original Golden Flower formulas in stock, most with best before dates well into 2028 . Some of these formulas are incredibly unique and clinically valuable, and because I have bulk bottles, I fully expect to continue prescribing them for quite some time. It’s really only the super‑common formulas that will run out quickly, and luckily I believe I can fill those gaps with Treasures of the East.
Between the two lines — plus the ability to customize formulas using single herbs — I feel confident that I’ll continue to have everything I need to serve my community with the same depth, nuance, and flexibility as always.
If you are interested in herbal medicine, feel free to make an appointment with me. I include TCM herbal diagnosis as part of my acupuncture treatment for no extra charge and can then set you up with the right formula for you!
Kristy Garry R.Ac, R.TCMP practices Japanese Acupuncture and TCM herbal therapy from her home clinic in beautiful Victoria BC
