This comprehensive guide to common chrysanthemum varieties is worth saving for every gardener
The chrysanthemum is also known as Shouke, Jinying, Huanghua, autumn chrysanthemum, Tao chrysanthemum, Rijing, Nühua, Yannian and Yiyi flower. It ranks third among China's top ten famous flowers, is one of the Four Gentlemen of flowers (plum blossom, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum), and is one of the world's four major cut flowers (chrysanthemum, rose, carnation and gladiolus). It is a precious ornamental flower developed through long-term artificial selection. Below is a compiled guide to common chrysanthemum varieties; save it if you like them!
1. Classification by flower diameter: flowers with a diameter of more than 18 cm are called large chrysanthemums; those with a diameter of 6-18 cm are called medium chrysanthemums; those with a diameter of less than 6 cm are called small chrysanthemums, belonging to the baby's breath type.
2. Classification by blooming season: divided into summer chrysanthemums, autumn chrysanthemums and cold chrysanthemums.
3. Classification by flower form: the capitulum of the chrysanthemum forms different flower forms due to the different arrangement of its ligulate flowers. The main ones include single-petal type, curled-spread type, dancing-ring type, ball type, rosette type, dragon-claw type, anemone type, drooping-bead type, drooping-thread type, burr type and so on.
4. Classification by commercial application: divided into spray chrysanthemums, specimen chrysanthemums, upright chrysanthemums, cliff chrysanthemums, high-graft chrysanthemums, tied chrysanthemums, flowerbed chrysanthemums and so on.
5. Classification by photoperiodic response: short-day hybrid chrysanthemums used for year-round flowering have a natural flowering period in autumn. In the Northern Hemisphere, varieties are divided into early, middle and late types according to flowering time. By response group, they are divided into 6-15 week varieties, meaning the number of weeks required from the start of short-day treatment to flowering. The commercial cut chrysanthemum varieties cultivated on a large scale in Guangdong include “Huangxiuju”, “Shehuang”, “Jinhuang”, “Taihong”, “Dabailian” and others, all of which are controlled by lighting to regulate flower bud differentiation so that they come to market evenly.
6. Classification by flower color: classified according to the color of the chrysanthemum, divided into white chrysanthemum, yellow chrysanthemum, red chrysanthemum, orange chrysanthemum, cyan chrysanthemum, brown chrysanthemum, purple chrysanthemum, green chrysanthemum also known as green lotus, and ink chrysanthemum, which is a type of chrysanthemum that is purple-black.
7. Flowering period
Summer chrysanthemum: also known as Wujiu chrysanthemum. It blooms once each in the 5th and 9th months of the lunar calendar every year. Today, with protected cultivation, it can bloom once each in May and October of the solar calendar.
Autumn chrysanthemum: the flowering period is divided into early and late. Early chrysanthemums bloom in mid to late September and are medium-sized chrysanthemums. Late chrysanthemums bloom from October to November and are large chrysanthemums; these are the most commonly cultivated autumn chrysanthemums.
Cold chrysanthemum: also known as winter chrysanthemum. The flowering period runs from December to January of the following year.
8. Flower diameter
Large chrysanthemum: flower diameter of more than 10 cm, mostly cultivated as multi-stem chrysanthemums and specimen chrysanthemums.
Medium chrysanthemum: flower diameter of 6-10 cm, long used for cultivation as flowerbed chrysanthemums and large upright chrysanthemums.
Small chrysanthemum: flower diameter of less than 6 cm, belonging to the baby's breath type; can be used as pot chrysanthemums, cliff chrysanthemums, tied chrysanthemums, bonsai chrysanthemums and so on, for arranging courtyards or display.
9. Cultivation methods
By cultivation method, chrysanthemums can be divided into four major categories: potted chrysanthemums, ground-cover chrysanthemums, cut chrysanthemums and shaped chrysanthemums (artistic chrysanthemums).