"Chrysanthemum"

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About The Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum is pronounced 'Kris-an-thee-mum'. The species name is Chrysanthemum x morifolium. (The 'x' denotes that it is a hybrid).

Chrysanthemums are superb flowers for modern bouquets, bringing a wide assortment of color and style to even the smallest of floral arrangements. They are excellent for both every day and holiday occasions all year round. Chrysanthemums come in a wide range of colors from shades of red to burgundy, pink, bronze, salmon, orange, yellow, white, lavender, and even purple blooms.

The name Chrysanthemum comes from the Greek 'chrysos' (golden) and 'anthos' (flower). Florist Chrysanthemums are native to China. The wild plant bears small yellow flowers. They have been cultivated in China for over 2500 years.

In Chinese legend an ageing emperor was told of a magic herb that bestowed eternal youth. This plant could only be gathered by children. So the emperor dispatched 24 youngsters for the long, difficult journey. On reaching Dragonfly island, where the plant grew, all they found was a golden yellow Chrysanthemum. In China this story revealed where the Chrysanthemum came from.

The Chinese have held the Chrysanthemum in high esteem ever since. They even named their royal throne after the flower. More recently Mao Tse Tung replaced the imperial golden yellow with the red of the people's republic. The flower is considered a symbol of happiness, long life, cheerfulness, optimism, rest and ease.

The Chrysanthemum was introduced to Europe in the late 18th century as the Chusan Daisy. It became known as the Pompon Chrysanthemum because it resembled the pompons on the hats of French sailors.

The Japanese have a national festival on September 9th devoted to the flower. In Malta it is associated with funerals and All Saints Day, and so thought unlucky to keep indoors. In Germany white Chrysanthemums are placed in homes at Christmas to honor Jesus.

Chrysanthemum flowers have been used medicinally to alleviate fever, headaches and inflammation, to purify the blood, and to help in a wide range of eye problems. In China the petals are eaten in salads for long life, and also made into a tea. Infusions of the petals and leaves are used to make wine. Chrysanthemums can cause an allergic dermatitis reaction in some people.

Chrysanthemum cut flowers are available all year round. It is best to buy spray Chrysanths (these have flowers on branched stems) when most of the heads have already opened. Single headed types are best purchased when the flowers are half or fully open.

If bought in the bud stage the flowers will not open up unless a bud opening solution is used. They may be opened by standing them in a special, florist fresh-flower solution at 60-70 deg F (15-20 deg C) with 16 hours per day of normal room intensity light. Adding 2-3% sugar will also help open small buds.

What to Do When You Receive Your Chrysanthemum Flowers

1. Unpack your flowers straightaway.

2. Use a clean vase. Fill it with clean lukewarm water and add a floral preservative solution, following the instructions provided. Too high a concentration can cause foliage yellowing and wilting.

3. Cut off all the leaves on the stem that would be below the water level in the vase. Otherwise these will rot, pollute the water and shorten the life of your Chrysanthemums. Also remove any damaged leaves or flowers, and any yellowing foliage.

4. Cut off about 1 inch (2.5cm) from the bottom of the flower stems, with the stems under water. Make the cut at an angle so that the flower stems do not rest flat on the bottom of the vase. Cut above any woody parts - these do not take up water so easily. Avoid crushing, pounding or splitting the chrysanth stems.

By doing this you help your Chrysanthemum flowers to maintain water uptake. Air bubbles and debris tends to collect in the bases of the stems, and water flow in the stems is greatly restricted if this is not removed. The cut should be at an angle and not flat across. You do not want your flower stems resting flat on the bottom of the vase since this will also restrict water uptake.

5. Arrange your flowers in the vase so that they are attractively displayed.

6. In Chrysanthemum care it is important to keep them in a cool place and out of direct sunlight. Avoid draughts which will dehydrate your flowers. They do not like very hot or cold areas. In a hot place in the direct sun the flowers will soon die. Avoid standing the vase on electrical appliances because they give off heat.

Care of Your Chrysanthemum Flowers

1. Check the water level frequently and top up the vase with lukewarm water to avoid chilling the flowers.

2. Regularly remove damaged, or dying flowers and foliage. The foliage dies off before the flowers. Removing dead foliage helps your flowers last longer.

3. Every 2-3 days remove your flowers from the vase. And cut off about 1 inch (2.5cm) from the bottom of the flower stems under water and at an angle . This will maintain good water uptake. Chrysanthemums are prone to blocked stems caused by a build up of bacteria in the water, so change the preservative solution as well.

Flower Life

Chrysanthemums generally last from 7 to 14 days plus. The vase life of the pompon can be an exceptionally long 14-20 days.

It is inadvisable to keep Chrysanthemums and Carnations together in the same vase. Water in vases containing Carnations produces bacteria that can reduce the life of your Chrysanthemums when both flowers are held in the same container.

Chrysanthemum flowers give off ethylene gas and so you should keep them away from Antirrhinums, Carnations, Orchids and other flowers sensitive to this gas.

Flowers with small heads can be dried.

Types of Chrysanthemum

There are over 200 different species of Chrysanthemum. They are aromatic, annual and perennial herbs or subshrubs, native to China, Japan, Africa, and southern Europe. They belong to the Daisy family, Compositae. However it is the florist's Chrysanthemum - Chrysanthemum x morifolium (or Dendranthema x grandiflora - pronounced den-drahn-THEE-ma grandi-FLOOR-ah) that we are talking about here.

Chrysanthemum flowers are available in a great multitude of colors, shapes and sizes. They are the result of generations of hybridization, and breeders are continuously offering new varieties. Blooms can be as small as 1 inch (2.5cm) across or as large as 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter.

There are two main types of florist Chrysanthemum:-

(1) Standards or Singles

(2) Spray or Pompon Chrysanthemums

Cushion sprays have medium length petals without a button in the center. The longer petals on the flower's edge give a flattened appearance to the blooms.

Chrysanthemums are further divided according to the shape and arrangement of the petals :-

Daisy, or Singles

Rings of wide petals surrounding a clearly visible, flat, central disk that is usually yellow and sometimes green.

Spider

With very long, thin, tubular or thread-like, outer petals with curled ends. No button in the center. White, yellow and mauve are the most common colors. Fuji or fugi is another sort of spider, but the petals are shorter and it is not a spray flower.

Anemone

Long, large petals surround a larger, central disk consisting of tubular florets. This forms a raised cushion, darker or the same color as the surrounding petals.

Decorative, Double or Cushion

The flowers come in various shapes such as incurved (a perfect globe, petals curve towards flower center), reflexed (similar to incurved, but curving away from the flower center and not such a perfect globe), and tubular (thread-like and tubular petals).

Spoon

Quill

Pompon or Buttons

Blooms with close, firm petals that form a tight, small globe. Widely used for corsages.

Novelty

Novelty describes any novelty colors, other than white, yellow, pink, and bronze cushions. And novelty shapes.

Dots

Chrysanthemums need a period of short days and long nights in order to induce them to flower.

Chrysanthemum frutescens, Marguerite or Boston Daisy

This Chrysanthemum species bears daisy-like flowers with white, yellow, or pink petals around a yellow center. The small flowers are 1.25-2.75 inches (3-7 cm) across on stems 10-16 inches (25-40 cm) long. The blooms are often tinted. Available in summer. Purchase when most of the flowers are open. Lasts up to 10 days.

There is more Chrysanthemum information available. Please check out the Chrysanthemum Guides links on the left at the top of the page. Click here for more Chrysanthemum Information.

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