Dendranthema × grandiflorum
| Dendranthema × grandiflorum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 5' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Mid Fall |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Dendranthema × grandiflorum (common name: chrysanthemum)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring to early summer in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. It usually germinates in 10 - 18 days at 15°c but if it does not germinate within 4 weeks then try chilling the seed for 3 weeks in the salad compartment of a fridge[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. This is a hybrid species and so will not breed true from seed.
Division in spring. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.
Cultivation: Succeeds in most well-drained fertile soils in a sunny position[2][3].
This species is not fully hardy in Britain, many of its cultivars requiring greenhouse protection in the colder areas of the country[2].
The chrysanthemum is widely cultivated as an ornamental flowering plant[3], there are many named varieties. It is also occasionally grown in the Orient for its edible leaves, a number of cultivars have been developed with leaves that are low in bitterness[4].
It has been proposed (1999) to restore this species to Chrysanthemum as C. x morifolium Ramat. since the plant is so widely known under this name.
Range: A hybrid of garden origin.
Habitat: Not known in a truly wild situation.
Edibility: The flower heads or petals[5][4][6] are parboiled and served as a salad with tofu and seasoned with vinegar or soya sauce[7]. They can also be prepared as tempura, pickled, dried or added to soups[7]. The petals contain about 1.9% protein, 0.9% fat, 5.3% carbohydrate, 0.7% ash[6].
Leaves - cooked[5][8][6]. Used as fritters, they are aromatic[7]. Some varieties have been selected for their low bitterness[4].
An aromatic tea is made from the leaves[7].
A tangy aromatic tea is made from the flowers or flower petals[6]. For a sweeter tea only the petals are used[7].
Medicinal: Chrysanthemum flowers, known in China as Ju Hua, are a bitter aromatic herb that has been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine[9][10]. The flower heads are drunk as a refreshing tisane and are used to improve vision, soothe sore eyes, relieve headaches, counter infections etc[10].
They are antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, carminative, depurative, diaphoretic, febrifuge, ophthalmic, refrigerant and sedative[4][11][12][13][9]. Taken internally they dilate the coronary artery, thus increasing the flow of blood to the heart, and so are used in the treatment of hypertension, coronary heart diseases and angina[9]. The flowers are harvested when fully open in the autumn and are dried for later use[9]. In China they are steamed before being dried to make them less bitter[9].
The leaf juice is smeared onto wounds[13].
Usage: Plants have been grown indoors in pots in order to help remove toxins from the atmosphere. It is especially good at removing chemical vapours, especially formaldehyde, benzene, and ammonia[14].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Chrysanthemum x morifolium. Ramat. C. sinense.
Links
References
- ↑ Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1986.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
- ↑ Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Wolverton, B. Eco-Friendly House Plants. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1996.