Economic uses of chrysanthemum tea

Ornamental use

Modern cultivated chrysanthemums are showier than their wild relatives.Many horticultural specimens have been bred to have multiple rows of ray florets of various colors.Flower heads come in various forms and can be daisy-like or decorative,such as pompoms or buttons.The genus contains many hybrids and thousands of horticultural varieties.In addition to the traditional yellow,other colors are available, such as white,purple and red.The most important hybrid is Chrysanthemum × morifolium (synonym C. × grandiflorum),mainly from C.indicum,but other species are also involved.Over 140 chrysanthemum varieties have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (recognized in 2017).Chrysanthemums fall into two basic groups,garden hardy and exhibition. Garden hardy chrysanthemums are perennials capable of overwintering in most northern latitudes.Show varieties are usually not as hardy.Garden hardy varieties are defined by their ability to produce profusion of small blooms with little to no mechanical assistance,such as staking,and to withstand wind and rain. However,the exhibition varieties need to be staked out,overwinter in a relatively dry and cool environment,and sometimes need to be equipped with night lights.Exhibit varieties can be used to create many stunning plant forms such as large blooms,spray forms,and many artistically trained forms such as thousand flower, standard (tree),fan,hanging basket,topiary, bonsai and waterfall.The National Chrysanthemum Society classifies chrysanthemums into 13 different flowering forms,consistent with international classification systems.

Flower form is defined by the arrangement of rays and disc florets. Chrysanthemums consist of many individual flowers (floorets),each capable of producing a seed.The disc florets are in the center of the flower head,and the ray florets are on the periphery.Ray florets are considered imperfect flowers because they have only female reproductive organs while disc florets are considered perfect flowers because they have both male and female reproductive organs.The irregular bends are bred into a giant head called an ogiku.The disc florets are hidden in layers of curved ray florets that hang down to form a "skirt".Regular bends are similar,but usually have smaller flowers and a dense spherical shape.Flowers that curve inward in the middle may have wider florets and less dense flower heads.In reflective form,the disc florets are hidden and the ray florets reflect outward to create a mop-like appearance.The ornamental form is similar to reflex flowers,but the ray florets usually do not radiate at more than a 90° angle from the stem.The shape of the pompom is completely double-layered,small in size,and spherical in shape.The single and semi-double flowers have exposed disc florets and one to seven rows of ray florets. In the anemone form, the disc florets are prominent, often raised and covering the ray florets.Spoon-shaped disc florets are visible,and long tubular ray florets are spatulate.In the spider form, the disc florets are hidden,while the ray florets are tubular with hooks or barbs at the end and hang loosely from the stem.In bush and thistle varieties,disk florets may be visible.In Japan,a bonsai chrysanthemum was developed over centuries.Cultivated flowers have a lifespan of about 5 years and can maintain a miniature size.Another way is to use a few pieces of dead wood,with the flowers growing along the wood on the back,giving the illusion of a miniature tree blooming from the front.

Culinary use 

In some parts of East Asia,the yellow or white chrysanthemum flowers of the purple chrysanthemum are boiled to make tea.The resulting drink is simply called chrysanthemum tea (chrysanthemum tea,pinyin: júhuā chá, in Chinese).Chrysanthemum leaves are steamed or boiled and used as a vegetable,especially in Chinese cuisine.The flowers can be added to dishes such as rice noodles in broth or thick snake broth (snake soup) to enhance the aroma. Japanese food sashimi is decorated with small chrysanthemums.

Insecticidal use

Pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum [or Tanacetum] cinerariaefolium) is economically important as a natural source of insecticides.The flowers are crushed and the active ingredients called pyrethrins present in the achenes are extracted and sold as oleoresin.It is applied as a suspension or powder in water or oil. Pyrethrins attack the nervous system of all insects and inhibit female mosquito bites.In sublethal doses,they have an anthelmintic effect.They are harmful to fish but far less toxic to mammals and birds than many synthetic pesticides.They are non-persistent,biodegradable,and also tend to break down when exposed to light.Pyrethroids such as permethrin are synthetic insecticides based on natural pyrethrum.Despite this,chrysanthemum leaves remain a major host for destructive pests such as leafminers,including L. trifolii.Persian powder is an example of an industrial product for chrysanthemum insecticides.

Environmental use

The NASA Clean Air Study shows that chrysanthemum plants can reduce indoor air pollution.

East Asian significance

China

• Chrysanthemum is the city flower of Beijing and Kaifeng.The tradition of cultivating different varieties of chrysanthemums can be traced back to 1600 years ago,and the scale reached an astonishing level in the Song Dynasty until it was destroyed by the Jurchens in 1126.The city has hosted the Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Culture Festival since 1983 (renamed the China Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Culture Festival in 1994).The event is the largest chrysanthemum festival in China;it has been an annual feature ever since,taking place from October 18 to November 18.

• Chrysanthemum is one of the "Four Gentlemen" in China (the other three are plum blossom, orchid and bamboo).It is said that the chrysanthemum was once favored by the famous Chinese poet Tao Qian and is a symbol of nobility.It is also one of the four symbolic seasonal flowers.

• Tongxiang,near Hangzhou,China,hosts the annual Chrysanthemum Festival.

• The chrysanthemum is the subject of hundreds of poems in China.

• The "golden flower" in the 2006 movie "The Golden Flower" is a chrysanthemum.

•  “Chrysanthemum Gate” (jú huā mén 菊花门),often abbreviated to Juhua (chrysanthemum),is taboo slang meaning “anus” (with sexual implications).

• The ancient Chinese city (Xiaolan Town, Zhongshan City) was named Juxian, which means "Chrysanthemum City".

The plant is especially important during the Double Ninth Festival in China.

 In Chinese culture,the chrysanthemum is a symbol of autumn and the flower of September.In the Han Dynasty, people even drank chrysanthemum wine on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month to prolong life.Due to its healthful properties, it is a symbol of longevity.Because of this, the flower is often worn at funerals.The Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China lists two kinds of medicinal chrysanthemums: wild chrysanthemum and chrysanthemum. Historically,wild chrysanthemum was said to treat carbuncles,boils,conjunctivitis,headaches and vertigo.Chrysanthemum is said to treat colds,headaches, vertigo and conjunctivitis.