Salvia miltiorrhiza, also known as red sage, Chinese sage, tan shen, or danshen, is a perennial plant in the genus Salvia, highly valued for its roots in traditional Chinese medicine. Native to China and Japan, it grows at 90 to 1,200 m (300 to 3,900 ft) elevation, preferring grassy places in forests, hillsides, and along stream banks. The specific epithet miltiorrhiza means "red juice extracted from a root".
Salvia miltiorrhiza has been widely used in China and, to a lesser extent, in Japan, the United States, and other European countries for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In China, the specific clinical use is angina pectoris, hyperlipidemia, and acute ischemic stroke.
An antioxidant called salvianolic acid (or salvianolic acid B) isolated from Danshen is under study for protection against cerebrovascular disorders. Dihydrotanshinone, tanshinone I, and tanshinone IIA are also under study for anti-cancer effects.