Where are the main production areas of chrysanthemums distributed?

Since ancient times, the chrysanthemum has been one of the Four Gentlemen of flowers, and China has a very long history of cultivating chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemums can be seen in major towns and rural areas. So what are the production areas of chrysanthemums?

1. Distribution of production areas

The production areas of chrysanthemums are all over China's towns and rural areas, especially Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Tianjin, Kaifeng, Wuhan, Chengdu, Changsha, Xiangtan, Xi'an, Shenyang, Guangzhou, and Xiaolan Town in Zhongshan City.

Around the 8th century, the chrysanthemum was introduced from China to Japan as an ornamental flower and was revered as the motif of Japan's national emblem. At the end of the 17th century, Dutch merchants introduced Chinese chrysanthemums to Europe; in the 18th century they were introduced to France, and in the mid-19th century to North America. Thereafter, Chinese chrysanthemums spread throughout the world.

2. Main varieties of chrysanthemum

1. Wild chrysanthemum: The wild chrysanthemum is a perennial herb, 0.25-1 m tall, with long or short underground stolons. The stems and branches are sparsely hairy, with slightly more or more hairs on the upper part and inflorescence branches. The basal leaves and lower leaves fall off during the flowering period. The middle stem leaves are ovate, long-ovate, or elliptic-ovate, pinnately parted, shallowly lobed, or with indistinct divisions and shallow serrations along the margins. The petiole base has no auricle or has divided leaf auricles. Both sides are the same color or nearly the same color, light green. The flower heads are 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter, mostly arranged at the tops of stems and branches in loose corymbose panicles, or a few arranged at the stem top in corymbs. The involucral bracts are about 5 layers; the outer layer is ovate or ovate-triangular, the middle layer ovate, and the inner layer long-elliptic, 11 mm long. The margins of all bracts are white or brown broadly membranous, with obtuse or rounded tips. The ligulate flowers are yellow, with entire tips or 2-3 teeth. The achenes are 1.5-1.8 mm long. The flowering period is June-November.

2. Sweet chrysanthemum: The sweet chrysanthemum is a perennial herb, 0.3-1.5 m tall, with underground stolons. The stems are erect, mostly branched from the middle upward, or only the upper part has corymbose inflorescence branches. The basal and lower leaves fall off during the flowering period. The middle stem leaves are ovate, broad-ovate, or elliptic-ovate. They are bipinnately divided. All leaves are the same color or nearly the same color on both sides. The petiole base has divided leaf auricles or no auricles. The flower heads are usually numerous at the tops of stems and branches, arranged in loose or slightly compact compound corymbs. The involucre is saucer-shaped, with about 5 layers of involucral bracts. The middle and inner layers are ovate, long-elliptic to oblanceolate, and the tips of all bracts are rounded, with white or light brown membranous margins. The ligulate flowers are yellow, the ligules elliptic, with entire tips or 2-3 indistinct teeth. The achenes are 1.2-1.5 mm long. The flowering and fruiting period is May-November.

3. Small red chrysanthemum: The small red chrysanthemum is a perennial herb, 15-60 cm tall, with underground creeping rhizomes. The stems are erect or curved at the base, branched from the base or middle, but usually only the stem top has corymbose inflorescence branches. The middle stem leaves are reniform, semicircular, nearly circular, or broad-ovate, usually 3-5 palmately or palmately pinnately shallowly lobed or parted, with the margins of all lobes obtusely toothed, sharply toothed, or aristate-toothed. The root leaves and lower stem leaves are the same shape as the middle stem leaves but smaller; the flower heads are few (about 3) to numerous (about 12), arranged at the tops of stems and branches in loose corymbs, rarely solitary at the stem top. The involucre is saucer-shaped; the involucral bracts are 4-5 layers. The margins of all bracts are white or brown membranous. The ligulate flowers are white, pink, or purple, and the ligules are long with 2-3 teeth at the tip. The achenes are 2 mm long, obliquely truncate at the top, narrowed below, with 4-6 vein ribs. The flowering and fruiting period is July-October.

There are very many varieties of chrysanthemums, and most chrysanthemums do not have high requirements for the growing environment. Chrysanthemums can be seen in both towns and rural areas.