Cardioteucris cordifolia C. Y. Wu (C. cordifolia) belongs to the genus Cardioteucris of the Lamiaceae family, which is one of the most primitive genera in the family. This species offers important information about the origins and evolutionary pathways of the Lamiaceae family. To date, C. cordifolia remains underexplored in the scientific literature, with scarce knowledge highlighting its potential for further research. Its natural populations are increasingly threatened due to excessive harvesting for medicinal purposes by humans, leading to severe depletion of wild resources. To mitigate this conflict between exploitation and conservation, plant tissue culture emerges as a sustainable alternative for large-scale propagation of such vulnerable plants. Plant regeneration by somatic embryogenesis in C. cordifolia was attempted via the use of leaf explants. In the present study, leaf explants first formed embryogenic callus, which then differentiated into embryo-like structures (ELSs) with diverse morphologies, including globular, heart, torpedo, and cotyledonary shapes. The maximum embryogenic callus induction rate (94.6%) and an average of 19.1 globular embryos and 18.8 cotyledonary-like embryos per explant were achieved through somatic embryogenesis-like pathway from leaf explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium amended with 0.1 mg L⁻1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 3.0 mg L⁻1 thidiazuron (TDZ). The final shoot formation rate from the ELSs was 93.5%. Embryos at the globular-like stage were transferred to PGR-free MS medium, which successfully promoted the germination of the ELSs. For the rooting culture of adventitious shoots, the optimal medium was MS supplemented with 0.3 mg L⁻1 NAA, which resulted in a root induction rate of 98.2% and an average root length of 9.5 cm. In conclusion, a tissue culture system for C. cordifolia was established providing a solid foundation for mass multiplication and genetic resource research.