How to Propagate Chrysanthemums by Cuttings? Detailed Methods and Steps
Chrysanthemums have been cultivated into a great many varieties. Today's chrysanthemums on the market come in diverse flower colors, many petal forms and multiple flowering seasons, and have an extremely wide range of uses, so they are deeply loved by people and are also one of today's very important cut flower varieties. Chrysanthemum propagation methods include cuttings, division, sowing, grafting and other routes; however, in order to ensure the excellent characteristics of the mother plant, chrysanthemums are often propagated by cuttings.
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum cuttings generally include stem cuttings, bud cuttings and leaf cuttings, but stem cuttings are the most common. The specific cutting steps are as follows:
1. Selection of cuttings: After the flowers fade, choose robust plants free of pests and diseases, cut off the aboveground parts, and place them in a cold room or refrigerator to keep as mother plants.
2. Cutting time: Mid-April to early May is the suitable period for cutting autumn chrysanthemums.
3. Preparation of cuttings: After new shoots emerge and grow in the spring of the following year, cut off 7-8 cm top shoots as cuttings. At 0.2 cm below the basal leaves, use a sharp knife to trim them into a horseshoe shape, and remove the basal leaves, keeping only the upper 2-3 leaves, and cut half off the large leaves. Place the medium in a cutting bed or pot and level it, water it, and once the water has drained down, cuttings can be taken.
4. Cutting: Before inserting, first poke small holes in the bed surface with a bamboo stick, then insert the cuttings to a depth of 1/3-1/2 of the cutting length, with a row spacing of 8-10 cm and a plant spacing of 2-3 cm.
5. Management after cutting: Press the soil firm, water immediately, so that the medium and cuttings are closely combined. For bed cuttings, set up a shade shed; for pot cuttings, place them in a shaded spot; keep the soil moist often, but not too wet; keep the temperature at 15-20°C; after one week the cuttings begin to root. At this point, increase light, and generally after about 10 days they can be potted up.
When Does the Epiphyllum Bloom? Steps for Propagating Epiphyllum by Cuttings
Many people know the idiom "a fleeting epiphyllum bloom." Do you know when the epiphyllum blooms? Today we will tell you the answer as well as the steps for propagating epiphyllum by cuttings.
When the epiphyllum blooms:
The epiphyllum usually blooms in the quiet depths of the night in summer and autumn, which is exactly when the epiphyllum blooms and reveals its beauty. Around 9 p.m. is when it most often unveils its enchanting grace; the purple flower stalk supports a very large epiphyllum bloom, with pure white petals neatly layered one wrapping another, and the heavy flower that weighs down the branch as if about to break trembles gently. In the trembling, the petals slowly open and spread, revealing a beautiful appearance. Dense, fine white filaments spiral out from the flower center, and at the tips of the filaments are yellow, slightly swollen anthers; these are the stamens. The pistil of the epiphyllum is very distinctive, surrounded by the stamens, slightly thicker than the filaments, and also white, especially the stigma at the top, which opens into a small white flower somewhat like a chrysanthemum. Elegant, white, delicate, proudly lifting its head, it blooms open. The entire flower is graceful and refined, overflowing with fragrance, and dazzling. Therefore it enjoys the reputation of "Beauty Under the Moon." Interestingly, after the flower gradually unfolds, after 1-2 hours it slowly wilts again, and the whole process lasts only about 4 hours. Hence the saying "a fleeting epiphyllum bloom."
Steps for propagating epiphyllum by cuttings:
Epiphyllum is generally propagated by cuttings, which can be done during the growing season. But May-June is best.
1. Choose a healthy leaf, or select a robust, thick 1-2 year old stem as the cutting, preferably a slightly longer one, and cut it off with scissors;
2. According to need, cut the leaf into several sections, 10-15 cm long;
3. Place in a spot not exposed to direct sunlight and wait for the cut surface (wound) to dry, drying for 2-3 days;
4. After the cut surface is dry, insert into a clay pot filled with vermiculite or plain sandy soil (or find soil that is not too wet), place in a shaded spot, keep at 18-24°C, and bury the cut surface 1-2 cm into the soil;
5. Do not water often; let the soil stay slightly dry, and if it gets very dry, water a little. Spray a small amount of water every 3-4 days, and keep the cutting medium often semi-moist. After cutting, roots form in about 4 weeks, and it can be moved to a spot with weak light. Pay attention to spraying water. When the roots are 3-4 cm long, pot it up;
6. Wait 2-3 weeks, and roots should have grown.
Note: Winter is the dormant period for epiphyllum, so watering should be controlled, fertilizing stopped, and the potting soil kept slightly dry. Sufficient light is the primary condition for promoting abundant blooming in epiphyllum, so in a greenhouse, adequate light should be ensured year-round, merely avoiding direct strong light around midday in summer.
Chrysanthemum Dendranthema morifolium (Ramat.) Tzvel. Chrysanthemum illustrated guide: how to grow chrysanthemums / how to propagate chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemum profileChrysanthemum Dendranthema morifolium (Ramat.) Tzvel.
Chrysanthemum cultivation methods and precautions; introduction to chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemum plants are 20-200 cm tall, usually 30-90 cm. The stem color is tender green or brown; except for cliff chrysanthemums, most are upright and branched, with the base semi-lignified. Leaves are simple and alternate, ovate to oblong, with incisions and serrations along the edges. The capitulum is terminal or axillary, solitary or several clustered together. The ray florets are female flowers, and the tubular florets are bisexual flowers. Ray florets are divided into four types: lower, spoon, tube and irregular, with rich colors including red, yellow, white, ink, purple, green, orange, pink, brown, snow blue, pale green, etc. Tubular florets develop into "anemone-centered petals" of various colors, and flower colors include red, yellow, white, purple, green, pink, bicolor, intermediate colors and other color series. Inflorescence size and shape differ, with single petals and double petals; flat shapes and spherical shapes; long fringes and short fringes, flat fringes and curled fringes; hollow and solid; upright and drooping, with many styles and complex varieties.
Chrysanthemum is a perennial herbaceous plant, with upright stems, branched or unbranched, covered with soft hairs. Leaves are ovate to lanceolate, 5-15 cm long, pinnately lobed or half-lobed, with short petioles, and the underside of the leaves is covered with white short soft hairs. The capitulum is 2.5-20 cm in diameter, varying in size. The involucral bracts are in multiple layers, with the outer layer covered with soft hairs on the outside. Ray florets come in various colors. Tubular florets are yellow.
It can be affirmed that the origin of the chrysanthemum is multifaceted, polyphyletic rather than monophyletic. Chrysanthemum is a cross-pollinated plant. In the long process of practice, people have used interspecific and even intergeneric hybridization to obtain new chrysanthemum traits, and through sexual processes such as backcrossing and reciprocal crossing to obtain segregation of new traits. Through such repeated genetic recombination and trait segregation, new traits become more and more numerous. In this process, conscious artificial hybridization and random natural selection can both appear simultaneously or occur alternately. However, the artificial selection process of eliminating the inferior and selecting the superior always plays a leading role. The chromosomes of chrysanthemum are extremely limited. It has only been recorded that chrysanthemum is hexaploid, 2n=54. Another possible pathway for the emergence of new chrysanthemum varieties is somatic mutation (bud sport); new varieties are obtained by fixing bud sports.
Origin: China
Symbolic meaning: purity, noble integrity, remembrance, success, longevity
Toxicity: non-toxic
Special uses: ornamental value, garden plant
Flowering period: autumn chrysanthemums September-October, summer chrysanthemums April-June
Medicinal value: clearing heat and detoxifying
Edible value: used in wine, porridge, and tea
General plant height: 60-120 cm tall
Soil: rich in humus, loose and fertile, well-drained
Temperature: 18-21°C
Water: drought-tolerant, most averse to waterlogging
Sunlight: prefers cool conditions, relatively cold-tolerant
Life form: perennial herb
Ecological habit: terrestrial plant
Environmental distribution: hilly areas
Distribution area: China, Japan
Morphological characteristics of chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum is a perennial herb, 60-150 cm tall. The stem is upright, branched or unbranched, covered with soft hairs. Leaves are alternate, with short petioles; the leaf blade is ovate to lanceolate, 5-15 cm long, pinnately lobed or half-lobed, with a wedge-shaped base, white short soft hairs on the underside, and edges with coarse serrations or deep lobes, wedge-shaped base, stalked. The capitulum is solitary or several gathered at the top of stems and branches, 2.5-20 cm in diameter, varying in size, single or several gathered at the top of stems and branches; differing greatly by variety. Involucral bracts are in multiple layers, the outer layer green, linear, with membranous edges, covered with soft hairs on the outside; ray florets are white, red, purple or yellow. Flower colors include red, yellow, white, orange, purple, pink, dark red and other colors. There are extremely many cultivated varieties, and the capitulum is highly variable, with different shapes and colors. Shapes vary by variety and include single petals, flat petals, spoon petals and many other types, with tubular florets in the center, often all transformed into various ray florets; flowering period September-November. Stamens, pistils and fruits are mostly underdeveloped.
Young chrysanthemum stems are tender green or brownish, covered with gray soft hairs or down. After flowering, most stems die. In the following spring, shoots emerge from the underground stems. Chrysanthemum leaves are simple and alternate, with petioles 1-2 cm long, with stipules or vestiges on both sides below the petiole; leaves are ovate to oblong, with incisions and serrations along the edges.
Leaf morphology varies by variety and can be divided into 8 types: normal leaf, deeply cut normal leaf, long leaf, deeply cut long leaf, round leaf, sunflower leaf, fluffy leaf and boat leaf. The chrysanthemum flower (capitulum) grows at the top of the branch, about 2-30 cm in diameter, and the inflorescence is enclosed outside by green bracts forming the flower bud.
Two forms of flowers are borne on the inflorescence: one is the tubular flower, commonly known as the "flower center," with the corolla fused into a tube, a bisexual flower, with one pistil in the center, the stigma 2-lobed, the ovary inferior and 1-loculed, surrounding the flower are 5 syngenesious stamens; the other is the ray floret, borne at the edge of the inflorescence, commonly known as the "petal," in which the stamens degenerate and there is 1 pistil. Ray florets are mostly large and brightly colored, and are divided by shape into 5 types: flat, spoon, tube, anemone and irregular. The achene (generally called the "seed") is 1-3 mm long and 0.9-1.2 mm wide, slightly pointed at the upper end, flat and wedge-shaped, with longitudinal ridge lines on the surface, brown, and contains one seed without endosperm; the fruit matures in January-February of the following year, and the thousand-grain weight is about 1 gram.
Chrysanthemum varieties possess extremely great diversity, and taxonomists have explored the ancestry of the chrysanthemum. Some believe wild chrysanthemum is the original ancestor of the chrysanthemum, some believe chrysanthemum is the ancestor, and some believe its ancestor is small red chrysanthemum, or they produce a series of possible ancestral lists. Some Chinese scientific workers have also conducted intergeneric hybridization experiments and done some speculative and experimental work in exploring the true origin of the chrysanthemum. Whether speculation or experiment, all attempt to place the origin of the chrysanthemum on one or two species of the genus, and attempt to point out which variety among these vast numbers of varieties is the most primitive, that is, to find the most primitive chrysanthemum variety.
The chrysanthemum capitulum is terminal or axillary, solitary or several clustered together. Ray florets are female flowers, and tubular florets are bisexual flowers. Ray florets are divided into four types: lower, spoon, tube and irregular, with rich colors including red, yellow, white, ink, purple, green, orange, pink, brown, snow blue, pale green, etc. Tubular florets develop into "anemone-centered petals" of various colors, and flower colors include red, yellow, white, purple, green, pink, bicolor, intermediate colors and other color series.
Inflorescence size and shape differ, with single petals and double petals; flat shapes and spherical shapes; long fringes and short fringes, flat fringes and curled fringes; hollow and solid; upright and drooping, with many styles and complex varieties.
The achene (generally called the "seed") is 1-3 mm long and 0.9-1.2 mm wide, slightly pointed at the upper end, flat and wedge-shaped, with longitudinal ridge lines on the surface, brown, and contains one seed without endosperm; the fruit matures in January-February of the following year, and the thousand-grain weight is about 1 gram. Autumn chrysanthemums September-October, summer chrysanthemums April-June.
Ecological habits of chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum has strong adaptability, prefers cool conditions, and is relatively cold-tolerant. The suitable growth temperature is 18-21°C, the maximum is 32°C, and the minimum is 10°C. The low-temperature limit for underground rhizomes is generally -10°C. The minimum night temperature during the flowering period is 17°C, and during the flowering period (middle and late) it can drop to 15-13°C. It likes sufficient sunlight, but is also slightly shade-tolerant. It is relatively drought-tolerant and most averse to waterlogging. It prefers high, dry terrain and deep soil layers rich in humus, loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam. It can grow in soils from slightly acidic to neutral, with pH 6.2-6.7 being better. Avoid continuous cropping.
Autumn chrysanthemum is a long-night, short-day plant. Under long-day conditions of 14.5 hours per day, it undergoes vegetative growth of stems and leaves; darkness of more than 12 hours per day and a night temperature of 10°C are suitable for flower bud development. However, different varieties respond differently to sunlight.
Chrysanthemum has strong adaptability, prefers cool conditions, and is relatively cold-tolerant. The suitable growth temperature is 18-21°C, the maximum growth temperature is 32°C, and the minimum is 10°C. The low-temperature limit for underground rhizomes is generally -10°C. It can grow in loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam from slightly acidic to neutral. Avoid continuous cropping. Chrysanthemum is a short-day flower and has a certain resistance to toxic gases such as sulfur dioxide and chlorine.
Chrysanthemum is a short-day plant and can bloom earlier under short-day conditions. It likes sunlight and avoids shade, is relatively drought-tolerant, and fears waterlogging. It likes a warm, humid climate, but can also tolerate cold, and in severe winter the rhizomes can overwinter underground. The flowers can withstand light frost, but the seedling growth and branching bud stage require relatively higher temperatures. The optimum growth temperature is about 20°C.
Chrysanthemum has strong adaptability, prefers cool conditions, and is relatively cold-tolerant. The suitable growth temperature is 18-21°C, the maximum is 32°C, and the minimum is 10°C. The low-temperature limit for underground rhizomes is generally -10°C. The minimum night temperature during the flowering period is 17°C, and during the flowering period (middle and late) it can drop to 15-13°C. It likes sufficient sunlight, but is also slightly shade-tolerant. It is relatively drought-tolerant and most averse to waterlogging. It prefers high, dry terrain and deep soil layers rich in humus, loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam. It can grow in soils from slightly acidic to neutral, with pH 6.2-6.7 being better. Avoid continuous cropping. Autumn chrysanthemum is a long-night plant; under long-day conditions of 14.5 hours per day it undergoes vegetative growth of stems and leaves, while darkness of more than 12 hours per day and a night temperature of 100°C are suitable for flower bud development. However, different varieties respond differently to sunlight.
Cultivation techniques of chrysanthemum; cultivation methods
According to cultivation methods, chrysanthemums can be divided into four major categories: potted chrysanthemums, ground-cover chrysanthemums, cut-flower chrysanthemums, and shaped chrysanthemums (artistic chrysanthemums).
Single-stem chrysanthemum (variety chrysanthemum, specimen chrysanthemum): cultivated with large chrysanthemums, one plant per pot, bearing one flower, a single plant standing alone. It best fully reflects the characteristics of the variety; besides ornamental use, it can be used for variety identification, hence it is also called variety chrysanthemum or specimen chrysanthemum.
Multi-stem chrysanthemum (multi-head chrysanthemum, multi-head variety chrysanthemum): cultivated with large-flowered chrysanthemums, one plant per pot with multiple stems, bearing several to more than ten flowers. Used for display and viewing in courtyards, meeting halls, etc.
Desk chrysanthemum: large chrysanthemums planted in small pots, one plant per pot, one flower per plant, with upright branches and elegant leaves, skirt leaves covering the pot, small plant with large flowers, less than a foot tall, suitable for placing on a small table or desk, and can be used to decorate halls, bedrooms, and studies.
Tile-tube chrysanthemum: chrysanthemum seedlings are collected and planted in tile tubes. After buds appear, the tile tube is removed and the plant is moved into a pot for viewing.
Nested-pot chrysanthemum: chrysanthemum seedlings are first planted in the ground, and when the plants grow to a certain size, they are inserted through the pot hole into a clay pot for cultivation; after color shows, the roots at the bottom of the pot are cut off and the pot is lifted for viewing.
Ground-cover chrysanthemum: ground-cover chrysanthemum refers to a specific group of small chrysanthemum varieties mainly cultivated as open-ground ground cover. Ground-cover chrysanthemums have the characteristic of macro group beauty and can be used in garden green spaces; they can also be planted in clumps, bands, patches, flower beds, and as potted flower displays to arrange scenic spots.
Cut-flower chrysanthemum: cut-flower chrysanthemum is a cultivation method in which fresh flowers are cut from cultivated chrysanthemum plants with stems and leaves for use. Produced by field planting, according to variety they can be divided into large-flowered, medium-flowered and multi-flower-branch types. According to cultivation method they can be divided into single-stem and multi-stem types.
Shaped chrysanthemum: shaped chrysanthemum uses different chrysanthemum varieties, through artistic treatment, to cultivate the plants into a specific form for viewing.
Large standing chrysanthemum (standing chrysanthemum): on a single chrysanthemum plant are borne hundreds to thousands of flowers of the same size and neatly arranged. After hanging and shaping, it forms a round flat shape or hemispherical shape. The flower circle diameter can reach 3-4 m, and some are also shaped into patterns. Large standing chrysanthemums are mainly used for festivals and chrysanthemum exhibitions to show grandeur and enhance the atmosphere.
Cliff chrysanthemum: cultivated from small chrysanthemums, with a very long main stem, numerous branches, dense flowers, wide at the back and narrow at the front, symmetrical from head to tail, long and drooping in form; small ones are about 1 m long, and large ones can reach 4-5 m. This chrysanthemum is used for environmental decoration, placed in halls or beside rockeries in courtyards, adding wild charm.
Pagoda chrysanthemum: a chrysanthemum plant artificially cultivated to form an upright main stem, distinct layers, and evenly coordinated flower colors, like a pagoda. This chrysanthemum can be composed of several or more than ten layers, up to 3-4 m tall. Placed in a courtyard standing among clustered flowers, it stands out like a crane among chickens and is truly spectacular.
Shaped chrysanthemum (tied chrysanthemum): small chrysanthemums of the baby's breath type are kept in pots or removed from pots and wrapped in small rush bags, then placed on flower racks made of bamboo or galvanized wire, etc., in the forms of pavilions, terraces, towers, chambers, and various animals, to add to the courtyard landscape.
Bonsai chrysanthemum: mostly using small chrysanthemums as material, applying bonsai techniques, and through pruning and shaping processing them into various postures such as ancient trees and cliffs, or artistic bonsai with a certain theme. Bonsai chrysanthemums include the stump chrysanthemum type: original wood, grafted, epiphytic; and the landscape chrysanthemum type: forest style, chrysanthemum-stone style, water-and-dry style. In addition, there is classification by flower embrace form. That is, classification by the posture changes in the arrangement of the chrysanthemum ray florets, including inward embrace, upward embrace, folded embrace, natural embrace, exposed-heart embrace, and chaotic embrace. There is classification by chrysanthemum plant height, divided into tall, medium, and short; and classification by growth vigor, including strong, medium, and weak. Although there are many classification methods, the more commonly applied classification method is by petals and flower type.
Potted cultivation management(Potted chrysanthemum cultivation can roughly be summarized into three methods.)
One-stage root system cultivation method
This method is mostly used in the Yangtze River, Pearl River basins and the southwestern region. That is, cuttings are taken in May, potted in June, pinching stops in early August, fertilizer and water management is strengthened in September to promote growth, and flowering occurs in October-November. The methods of potting chrysanthemums vary from place to place, mainly including the following five: potting immediately after cutting, which has the advantages of less root damage, true flower color, and a long flowering period, but is relatively labor-intensive; tile-tube field planting then potting, in which cuttings are planted in tile tubes formed by three tiles for cultivation, and when the flower buds color, they are dug up and potted. This method saves labor compared with the former, but the roots are easily damaged when digging up the seedlings, and the flowering period and flower quality are not as good as the former; field planting with nested-pot method, in which cuttings are planted on high ridges, large-hole pots are nested on them in early July, allowing the seedlings to extend out through the pot holes, soil is added in stages, and when color appears the underground roots are cut off; in-pot grafting method, in which mugwort seedlings are sown and raised in March, chrysanthemums are grafted onto the mugwort seedlings in May, and thereafter management is the same as the cutting-and-potting method. Propagation by this method gives robust plants, large flowers and earlier flowering, but is relatively labor-intensive; field planting with grafting and nested-pot method, in which well-raised Artemisia annua seedlings are planted in ridges in March, grafted in May, and moved into pots when the flower buds show color. Its advantages are convenient management, robust plants, and large flowers. The disadvantage is relatively severe root damage.
Two-stage root system cultivation method
This method is commonly used in the Northeast region, and is also applied in Jiangxi, Hunan and other places. Cuttings are taken in May-June, and after the seedlings survive they are potted, with soil added to 1/3-1/2 of the pot depth. Pinching stops from late July to early August. After the side branches grow beyond the pot rim, the plant height is adjusted by the branch-coiling method, and the branches are fixed so that they are evenly distributed, with the upper part covered. Before long, roots grow from the coiled and pressed branches. When the branches grow to a certain height, the branches can be coiled and adjusted once more, and then sufficient fertile soil is added. By applying this method, chrysanthemums have a neat and beautiful appearance, shorter plants, full leaves, robust branches, large flowers, and a long flowering period. Because roots also grow on the coiled branches, it is called the two-stage root system cultivation method.
Three-stage root system cultivation method
A cultivation method commonly used in North China. From winter cuttings to flowering in November of the following year, it takes 1 year. Beijing art-chrysanthemum masters have summarized the following 4 stages, namely winter storage, in which robust basal shoots are selected in late autumn and early winter for cuttings to raise seedlings; spring planting, in which seedlings are divided and potted in mid-April, with ordinary leaf mold soil used in the pots without fertilizer; summer setting, in which pinching is used to promote basal shoot growth, and when the emerged basal shoots grow to about 10 cm in mid-July, well-developed seedlings with plump buds are selected for repotting and final planting; autumn care, in which in early to mid-July the selected robust seedlings are moved into pots 20-24 cm in diameter, with the potting soil using ordinary culture soil plus 0.5% superphosphate. The chrysanthemum seedlings in the small pots are turned out together with the soil ball, planted with the new shoot as the center, and excess tiller buds are cut off, with soil added to the original seedling depth and pressed firm. After repotting, the new plant and the mother plant grow at the same time. After the new plant has developed robustly, the old plant is cut off level with the soil surface. After cutting off the mother plant, loosen the soil, fill in ordinary culture soil, and add 20%-30% decomposed compost. At this time the pot is already 80% full of fertile soil. After 1 week, the third stage of new roots grows out, and the new and old three stages form a strong root system. In the entire cultivation process, repotting is done 1 time, soil is filled 2 times, and the plant roots three times.
Chrysanthemum cultivation methods; growth management
Potted chrysanthemums are best with a short, sturdy plant shape, large and brightly colored flowers, and basal leaves that do not drop. If the plant is too tall, the ornamental effect is affected.
To dwarf chrysanthemums, the following measures can be taken:
1. Newly turn the soil, water thoroughly, apply sufficient fertilizer, and spray the soil surface with 600-800 times diluted Xin Gaozhi Mo, which can preserve fertilizer and moisture on the ground, prevent water evaporation, protect against sun and drought, preserve heat and prevent freezing, prevent soil crusting, and suffocate and isolate pest and disease sources.
2. Shallow cutting and shallow planting: shallow cutting can both avoid the effects of high temperature and dryness, improve the survival rate of cuttings, and also reduce the height of chrysanthemums. One month after cutting, the first transplanting can be carried out. When transplanting, plant shallowly to prevent excessive water and nutrients from causing excessive vegetative growth. After the seedlings are transplanted, spraying Xin Gaozhi Mo can effectively prevent aboveground water from evaporating, prevent seedling water from transpiring, isolate pests and diseases, shorten the seedling recovery period, help them quickly adapt to the new environment, and grow healthily.
3. Control water and fertilizer: to cultivate chrysanthemums with short plants and large flowers, water and fertilizer management must follow the principle of "restrain first, promote later," that is, in the vegetative growth stage, water and fertilizer should be withheld to prevent excessive growth and achieve the goal of dwarfing the plant.
4. In the late vegetative growth stage and the bud-forming and flowering stage, increase watering, fertilizing, and weeding, and spray Hua Duo Zhuang Di Ling, which can promote plump and strong flower buds, enlarged petals, bright flower colors, rich fragrance, and an extended flowering period.
Propagation methods of chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums are propagated by methods such as cuttings, division, grafting and tissue culture.
1. Cuttings can be divided into bud cuttings, softwood cuttings and leaf-bud cuttings. For bud cuttings, basal shoots of the plant are cut in autumn and winter for cutting.
The standard for selecting buds is that they are relatively far from the plant and the buds are plump. Remove the lower leaves, and insert at a plant spacing of 3-4 cm and a row spacing of 4-5 cm in flower pots or cutting beds in a greenhouse or plastic tunnel, maintaining a room temperature of 7-8°C, and plant outdoors after warm spring arrives. Softwood cuttings, the most widely used method, are mostly taken in April-May; cut 8-10 cm softwood shoots as cuttings, and at 18-21°C they root in about 3 weeks, and can be finally planted in about 4 weeks. For open-air cutting beds, the medium is best as plain sand, and the bed should be shaded. Full-light mist cutting beds do not need shading. For leaf-bud cuttings, cut a leaf with an axillary bud from the branch for cutting; this method is only used to propagate rare varieties.
2. Division
Generally around Qingming, dig out the chrysanthemum plants, separate them with roots according to the natural form of the roots, and plant them separately in pots.
3. Grafting
To make chrysanthemums grow robustly and to create "Shixiangjin" or large standing chrysanthemums, yellow mugwort or Artemisia annua can be used as rootstock for grafting. Sow mugwort seeds in late autumn, sow in a greenhouse in winter, or raise seedlings in a hotbed in March; in late April when the seedlings are 3-4 cm tall, move them into pots or plant them in the field, and in May-June carry out cleft grafting on sunny days.
4. Tissue culture
Using tissue culture technology to propagate chrysanthemums has the advantages of rapid propagation, large seedling output, virus elimination, and maintaining variety characteristics. The basic medium is MS, with an appropriate amount of plant hormones added, pH 5.8. Use chrysanthemum stem tips, tender stems or flower buds as explants, cut into 0.5 cm small sections and inoculate. The culture room temperature is 25°C ± 1°C. Light is provided for 8 hours daily, with a light intensity of 3000-4000 lux. After 1-2 months of culture, seedlings can be induced.
Disease control of chrysanthemum
Common chrysanthemum diseases include brown spot, black spot, powdery mildew and root rot. The pathogens of the above diseases all belong to fungi, and are all caused by excessive soil moisture and poor drainage, ventilation and light transmission.
Therefore, it is advisable to choose a place with good ecological conditions for cultivation, and attention should be paid to drainage, removing diseased plants and diseased leaves, and burning residual roots.
The potting soil should be disinfected with 1:8 formalin solution, and during the growing period, Bordeaux mixture, 80% wettable zineb solution, or 50% wettable thiophanate solution should be sprayed for control.
Pests include aphids, red spiders, inchworms, chrysanthemum tiger (chrysanthemum longhorn beetle), white grubs, leaf miner larvae, etc., which can be controlled by manual capture and spraying.
Variety classification of chrysanthemum
The genus Chrysanthemum has more than 30 species, 17 of which are native to China, mainly including: wild chrysanthemum, white chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum vestitum, chrysanthemum, small red chrysanthemum, purple-flowered wild chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum naphthalene, etc. It is a perennial herbaceous plant. It prefers cool conditions and is relatively cold-tolerant. The suitable growth temperature is 18-21°C. The underground rhizomes are drought-tolerant and most averse to waterlogging. It prefers high terrain, deep soil layers, soil rich in humus, loose, fertile, and well-drained loam. It can grow in soils from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. pH 6.2-6.7 is best. It is a short-day plant. Under long-day conditions of 14.5 hours per day it undergoes vegetative growth, and darkness of more than 12 hours per day and a night temperature of 10°C are suitable for flower bud development.
According to cultivation form, it is divided into cultivation types such as multi-head chrysanthemum, single-stem chrysanthemum, large standing chrysanthemum, cliff chrysanthemum, artistic chrysanthemum, and desk chrysanthemum; according to the external morphology of the petals, it is divided into cultivation types such as round embrace, retreating embrace, reverse embrace, chaotic embrace, exposed-heart embrace, and flying-dance embrace. Chrysanthemums within different types are also named with various variety names.
Chrysanthemum is the third of China's ten famous flowers, one of the four gentlemen among flowers (plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum), and also one of the world's four major cut flowers (chrysanthemum, rose, carnation, gladiolus), with production ranking first. Because chrysanthemum has the character of enduring cold and defying snow, there is Tao Yuanming's famous line "Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern hedge, I gaze leisurely at the southern mountains." Chinese people have the custom of viewing chrysanthemums and drinking chrysanthemum wine on the Double Ninth Festival. Tang dynasty Meng Haoran's "Passing by an Old Friend's Village": "When the Double Ninth Festival comes, I will come again for the chrysanthemums." In ancient myths and legends, chrysanthemum was also endowed with the meanings of auspiciousness and longevity.
Chrysanthemum is a precious ornamental flower cultivated through long-term artificial selection. Around the 8th century AD, chrysanthemums as ornamentals spread from China to Japan. 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 they were introduced to North America. Since then, Chinese chrysanthemums have spread throughout the world.
Flowering period
Summer chrysanthemum: also known as Wujiu chrysanthemum. It blooms once each in the 5th and 9th lunar months every year. Today, using protected facilities for 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 flower in mid-to-late September and are medium-sized chrysanthemums. Late chrysanthemums flower in October-November and are large chrysanthemums; these are the most commonly cultivated autumn chrysanthemums.
Cold chrysanthemum: also called winter chrysanthemum. The flowering period is from December to January of the following year.
Flower diameter
Large chrysanthemum: flower diameter is more than 10 cm, mostly cultivated as multi-stem chrysanthemum and specimen chrysanthemum.
Medium chrysanthemum: flower diameter is 6-10 cm, often cultivated as flower bed chrysanthemum and large standing chrysanthemum.
Small chrysanthemum: flower diameter is less than 6 cm, belonging to the baby's breath type, and can be used as pot chrysanthemum, cliff chrysanthemum, tied chrysanthemum, bonsai chrysanthemum, etc., for arranging courtyards or display.
Color
Single color: Single color means one flower has one color, including yellow, white, purple, red, pink, green, ink, mud gold, snow blue, etc. In addition to the basic color series, each color series can be divided into multiple tones. This is relatively difficult to describe and accurately grasp.
Compound color: Compound color means that one flower has more than two colors, and the color variation is also relatively rich. There are flowers with two colors, such as "Erqiao" with half red and half yellow, and "Yuanyanghe" with red and yellow; there are those with two colors on the back and belly, such as "Jinbei Dahong" with a yellow back and red belly; there are those where the petals have one color as the base color and other colored stripes or spots on top, such as "Meihualu" with pink-purple as the base color and white spots on top; there are those where the base of the petal is one color and the tip is another color, such as "Chixian Jinzhu" with red tube petals and yellow tips; there are those where the center flower is one color and the outer flowers are another color, but the contrast is not great, such as "Chufeng" and "Lushui".
Petal shape
Flat petal: The ligulate flower extends in a flat plane. According to the width and narrowness of the petal, it is divided into broad petal (the widest part of the petal is more than 2 cm), such as "Shuaiqi"; medium petal (the widest part of the petal is 1-2 cm), such as "Mohe"; narrow petal (the widest part of the petal is less than 1 cm), such as "Lixiangju".
Spoon petal: The ligulate flower is an intermediate type between flat petals and tube petals. The united part at the base of the corolla is longer than that of flat petals, and the tip of the petal opens like a spoon, called a "spoon blade". Spoon petals can also be divided into long spoon petals, medium spoon petals and short spoon petals according to the length of the spoon blade. According to shape, there are also straight-extending, inward-curving and backward-rolling types.
Tube petal: The ligulate flower extends in a tube shape. According to whether the tip of the tube is open or closed, it is divided into open tube and closed tube. According to the thickness of the tube, it is divided into thick tube (diameter at the middle of the tube is more than 0.6 cm), medium tube (diameter at the middle of the tube is 0.3-0.6 cm) and thin tube (diameter at the middle of the tube is less than 0.3 cm).
Osmanthus petal: The ligulate flowers are flat petals or spoon petals or tube petals in 1-3 whorls. The tubular flowers become osmanthus-petal-shaped (also called star-tube-shaped).
Abnormal petal: The petals are peculiar and can be divided into bur petal, dragon-claw petal and cut-velvet petal.
Leaf shape
The leaf morphology of chrysanthemum varies relatively little and is often used as one of the important bases for identifying chrysanthemum cultivars. According to their morphology, they can be divided into the following types.
Normal leaf: The leaf shape is regular, with moderate length and width, size, and thickness. The main vein, branch veins and lobes are all relatively neat.
Deeply lobed normal leaf: The leaf shape is similar to the normal leaf, the lobes are deeper than those of the normal leaf, and the tip is sharp.
Long leaf: The leaf shape is narrower and longer than the normal leaf, and the lobes are deeper. The five lobes are neat.
Deeply lobed long leaf: The leaf shape is narrow and long, the lobes are deeper than those of the long leaf, and the tip is sharp.
Round leaf: The leaf length and width are similar and slightly round, the leaf flesh is relatively thick, and the serrations are shallow and blunt.
Sunflower leaf: The leaf area is large, with shallow lobes shaped like sunflower leaves.
Artemisia leaf: The leaf shape is slender and long, deeply lobed into 5 narrow long pinnate lobes. Shaped like Artemisia leaves.
Reversed leaf: The leaf margin is reversed, the leaf surface protrudes, like an overturned boat, and the lobes are relatively shallow or irregular.
Petiole-attached leaf: Leaf flesh or stipules are attached at the base of the petiole.
Ornamental chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum is one of the important flowers in garden applications and is widely used in flower beds, ground cover, potted flowers and cut flowers. It is the city flower of Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province. In addition to ornamental value, chrysanthemum is also a practical plant. Practical chrysanthemums include edible chrysanthemums, tea chrysanthemums and medicinal chrysanthemums.
Edible chrysanthemum
The main cultivars include Lahuang, Xihuang, Xichibai, Guangzhouhong, etc., with Guangdong as the main producing area. These edible chrysanthemums are mainly used as precious ingredients for banquet soups and hot pot, and are popular and sell well in Hong Kong, China and Macao, China. Chrysanthemum nankingense is a vegetable loved by ordinary people in Nanjing, Jiangsu, usually used for soup or stir-frying, and has the effect of clearing heat and improving eyesight.
Tea chrysanthemum
Mainly includes Zhejiang Hangju, Henan Huaiju, Anhui Chuju and Boju. After scenting, tea chrysanthemums can be mixed with tea leaves or drunk alone. Drinking the tea infusion brewed from tea chrysanthemums not only has the unique delicate fragrance of chrysanthemum, but can also reduce internal heat, nourish the liver and improve eyesight.
Medicinal chrysanthemum
Mainly includes yellow chrysanthemum and white chrysanthemum, as well as Gongju from Shexian, Anhui, Luju from Hebei, Chuanju from Sichuan, etc. The tea chrysanthemums mentioned above can also be included in the medicinal category. Medicinal chrysanthemum has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, blood pressure-lowering and coronary heart disease-preventing effects.
There is also wild chrysanthemum, which also has medicinal value. Wild chrysanthemum is also known as wild yellow chrysanthemum, Kuyi, mountain chrysanthemum and sweet chrysanthemum.
Classification by morphology
According to the shape and size of the dried capitulum and the length of the ligulate flowers, medicinal chrysanthemums can be divided into 4 major categories, namely white chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum morifolium, gong chrysanthemum and hang chrysanthemum. Within each category, they are named according to the place of origin. In the white chrysanthemum category, the Boju produced in Bozhou, Anhui, has the best medicinal quality (slightly yellowish is the genuine product), followed by Huaiju from Wuzhi, Henan, Chuanju from Zhongjiang, Sichuan, Qiju from Anguo, Hebei, and Deju from Deqing, Zhejiang, etc.
Classification by flowering period
According to the early or late flowering period, there are early chrysanthemum (blooming in September), autumn chrysanthemum (October to November), and late chrysanthemum (December to January). However, through the hard cultivation of horticulturists and changes in sunlight conditions, there are also May chrysanthemum blooming in May, July chrysanthemum blooming in July, and August chrysanthemum blooming in August. According to flower diameter, those with a flower diameter above 10 cm are called large chrysanthemums, those with a flower diameter of 10-6 cm are medium chrysanthemums, and those with a flower diameter below 6 cm are small chrysanthemums. According to petal type, they can be divided into flat petals, tube petals and spoon petals, three categories and more than ten types.
The Chinese people have paid great attention and interest to chrysanthemum, and at first it was not only because of its unique ornamental value, but mainly because of its medicinal value. In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Qu Yuan's Li Sao already had the line "At evening I eat the fallen blossoms of the autumn chrysanthemum," which shows that at that time chrysanthemum flowers were already used as vegetables. However, by the Han and Tang dynasties, great attention was paid to the medicinal value of chrysanthemum. The chrysanthemum flower is a cooling medicine, cold in nature, sweet and bitter, dispersing wind and clearing heat, improving eyesight and calming the liver. This is called medicinal chrysanthemum. According to the size and color quality of the capitulum, medicinal chrysanthemum also has its own classification method.
By species type
Cultivars are classified according to the order of evolution and cultivation and application.
The specific classification is as follows:
(1) Small chrysanthemum series (flower diameter less than 6 cm under normal cultivation conditions): small-wheel type, small-ball type, small-star type, small-osmanthus type.
(2) Medium and large chrysanthemum series (flower diameter greater than 6 cm under natural cultivation conditions):
1. Petal flower category (ligulate flowers mainly flat petals): single-petal type, double-petal type, lotus-rosette type, rolled type, ball type, curled-spread type, hanging-ribbon type.
2. Tube flower category (ligulate flowers are tube petals): tube-ball type, tube-disk type, spreading type, pine-needle type, dancing-ring type, bead-tube type.
3. Osmanthus petal flower category (tubular flowers are osmanthus-shaped): osmanthus-supporting type.
4. Abnormal flower category (small flowers densely bearing bur hairs and tips split like dragon claws, etc.): bur type, dragon-claw type.
Classification
Tea chrysanthemum
Mainly includes Zhejiang Hangju, Henan Huaiju, Anhui Chuju and Boju. After scenting, tea chrysanthemums can be mixed with tea leaves or drunk alone. Drinking the tea infusion brewed from tea chrysanthemums not only has the unique delicate fragrance of chrysanthemum, but can also reduce internal heat, nourish the liver and improve eyesight.
Medicinal chrysanthemum
Mainly includes yellow chrysanthemum and white chrysanthemum, as well as Gongju from Shexian, Anhui, Luju from Hebei, Chuanju from Sichuan, etc. The tea chrysanthemums mentioned above can also be included in the medicinal category. Medicinal chrysanthemum has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, blood pressure-lowering and coronary heart disease-preventing effects.
There is also wild chrysanthemum, which also has medicinal value. Wild chrysanthemum is also known as wild yellow chrysanthemum, Kuyi, mountain chrysanthemum and sweet chrysanthemum.
Ornamental chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum is one of the important flowers in garden applications and is widely used in flower beds, ground cover, potted flowers and cut flowers. It is the city flower of Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province. In addition to ornamental value, chrysanthemum is also a practical plant. Practical chrysanthemums include edible chrysanthemums, tea chrysanthemums and medicinal chrysanthemums.
Edible chrysanthemum
The main cultivars include Lahuang, Xihuang, Xichibai, Guangzhouhong, etc., with Guangdong as the main producing area. These edible chrysanthemums are mainly used as precious ingredients for banquet soups and hot pot, and are popular and sell well in Hong Kong, China and Macao, China. Chrysanthemum nankingense is a vegetable loved by ordinary people in Nanjing, Jiangsu, usually used for soup or stir-frying, and has the effect of clearing heat and improving eyesight.
Wild chrysanthemum (original species): Perennial herb, 0.25-1 m tall, with long or short underground stolons. Stems and branches sparsely hairy, with slightly more or more hairs on the upper part and inflorescence branches. Basal leaves and lower leaves fall off at flowering. Middle stem leaves ovate, long ovate or elliptic-ovate, pinnately parted, shallowly lobed, or not obviously lobed with shallow serrations at the margin. Petiole base without auricles or with divided leaf auricles. Both surfaces concolorous or nearly concolorous, light green. Capitula 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter, mostly arranged at the apex of stems and branches in loose corymbose panicles or a few arranged at the stem apex in corymbs. Involucral bracts about 5 layers, outer layer ovate or ovate-triangular, middle layer ovate, inner layer long elliptic, 11 mm long. Margins of all bracts white or brown broadly membranous, apex obtuse or rounded. Ligulate flowers yellow, apex entire or 2-3-toothed. Achenes 1.5-1.8 mm long. Flowering period June-November.
Sweet chrysanthemum (original species): Perennial herb, 0.3-1.5 m tall, with underground stolons. Stems erect, much branched from above the middle or only the upper part with corymbose inflorescence branches. Basal and lower leaves fall off at flowering. Middle stem leaves ovate, broadly ovate or elliptic-ovate. Doubly pinnately parted. All leaves concolorous or nearly concolorous on both surfaces. Petiole base with divided leaf auricles or without auricles. Capitula usually numerous at the apex of stems and branches, arranged in loose or slightly dense compound corymbs. Involucre dish-shaped, involucral bracts about 5 layers. Middle and inner layers ovate, long elliptic to oblanceolate, apex of all bracts rounded, margin white or light brown membranous. Ligulate flowers yellow, ligule elliptic, apex entire or with 2-3 indistinct teeth. Achenes 1.2-1.5 mm long. Flowering and fruiting period May-November.[7]
Small red chrysanthemum (original species): Perennial herb, 15-60 cm tall, with underground creeping rhizomes. Stems erect or curved at the base, branched from the base or middle, but usually only with corymbose inflorescence branches at the stem apex. Middle stem leaves reniform, semicircular, suborbicular or broadly ovate, usually 3-5 palmately or palmately pinnately shallowly lobed or parted, margins of all lobes blunt-toothed, sharp-toothed or aristate-toothed. Radical leaves and lower stem leaves similar in shape to middle stem leaves but smaller; capitula few (about 3) to numerous (about 12) arranged at the apex of stems and branches in loose corymbs, rarely capitula solitary at the stem apex. Involucre dish-shaped; involucral bracts 4-5 layers. Margins of all bracts white or brown membranous. Ligulate flowers white, pink or purple, ligule apex 2-3-toothed. Achenes 2 mm long, apex obliquely truncate, narrowed below, with 4-6 veined ribs. Flowering and fruiting period July-October.
Distribution range of chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum is found throughout China's towns and rural areas, especially in 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, ornamental chrysanthemum was introduced from China to Japan and was revered as the pattern of the Japanese national emblem. At the end of the 17th century, Dutch merchants introduced Chinese chrysanthemum to Europe, in the 18th century it was introduced to France, and in the mid-19th century it was introduced to North America. After that, Chinese chrysanthemum spread throughout the world.
It grows by roadsides, on hillsides and in open fields. It is distributed in most areas of the country. Chrysanthemum originated in China, and through continuous selection and breeding by the ancients it became Chinese cultivated chrysanthemum. The current cultivated cultivars are highly hybridized horticultural cultivars.
Japanese chrysanthemum was formed by crossing Chinese cultivated chrysanthemum introduced to Japan with Japanese wild chrysanthemum; Chinese cultivated chrysanthemum is also an important parent of Western chrysanthemum.
Chrysanthemum is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family. Its petals are ligulate or tubular. Chrysanthemum is a precious ornamental flower cultivated through long-term artificial selection, also called artistic chrysanthemum, with more than 3,000 cultivars. Chrysanthemum is one of China's top ten famous flowers, with a cultivation history of more than 3,000 years in China. Chinese chrysanthemum was introduced to Europe around the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.
Chinese people love chrysanthemum very much. Since the Song dynasty, there has been an annual grand chrysanthemum event among the people. Poets and painters of successive Chinese dynasties wrote many poems and paintings themed on chrysanthemum, and therefore the large number of literary and artistic works praising chrysanthemum and the experience of artistic chrysanthemum cultivation have left many famous records and excellent works for people and will be passed down for a long time.
The stem of chrysanthemum is erect, branched or unbranched, covered with soft hairs. Leaves ovate to lanceolate, pinnately shallowly lobed or parted, with short petioles, lower leaf surface covered with white short soft hairs. Capitula, of varying sizes. Involucral bracts in multiple layers, the outer surface covered with soft hairs. Ligulate flowers of various colors. Tubular flowers yellow. Chrysanthemum is a short-day plant and can bloom earlier under short-day conditions.
Among the more than 30 species of the genus Chrysanthemum, 17 are native to China.
For example, wild yellow chrysanthemum is distributed throughout the country, purple wild chrysanthemum is distributed in East China, North China and Northeast China, Maohua chrysanthemum is distributed in Central China, sweet chrysanthemum is mostly distributed in Northeast and North China, small red chrysanthemum is mostly distributed in North China and Northeast China, and Chrysanthemum nankingense is produced in Nanjing. Around the 8th century, ornamental chrysanthemum was introduced from China to Japan and was revered as the pattern of the Japanese national emblem. At the end of the 17th century, Dutch merchants introduced Chinese chrysanthemum to Europe, in the 18th century it was introduced to France, and in the mid-19th century it was introduced to North America. After that, Chinese chrysanthemum spread throughout the world.
Chrysanthemum cultivation techniques were further improved, chrysanthemum cultivars increased, and chrysanthemum records also became more numerous. For example, Huang Xingzeng, Ma Bozhou, Zhou Lüchen, Gao Lian, Le Xiuyuan and others all wrote works, including Juhua. In Huang Xingzeng's Jupu, 220 chrysanthemum cultivars were recorded. Li Shizhen's Bencao Gangmu (1580) and Wang Xiangjin's Qunfang Pu (1630) both recorded chrysanthemum in considerable detail. Qunfang Pu made a comprehensive study of chrysanthemum cultivars, recording 92 yellow cultivars, 73 white cultivars, 32 purple cultivars, 35 red cultivars, 22 pink cultivars, and 17 unusual cultivars, totaling 6 categories and 271 cultivars; at least 16 flower types.
Medicinal or dietary therapeutic value of chrysanthemum
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Ultimate flower-protecting task: To love yourself, start from reality and strictly follow medical advice. For illness, do not be careless, do not delay, do not give up hope, face it bravely, warm the silent world with love, and care for the flower field in your heart with care.
Nutritional effects
Chrysanthemum contains stachydrine, robinin, luteolin glycoside, cosmos glycoside, adenine, choline, glucoside and other components, and is especially rich in volatile oil, in which the oil mainly consists of substances such as chrysanthenone, borneol and bornyl acetate.
In terms of effects and actions, chrysanthemum has the effects of calming the liver and improving eyesight, dispersing wind and clearing heat, and relieving cough and pain, and has significant effects in treating headache, dizziness, red and swollen eyes with pain, wind-heat common cold, cough and other conditions.
Food preparation
Chrysanthemum porridge
[Ingredients]: Chrysanthemum, rice, coix seed, lotus seed, lily, goji berry, red date.
[Steps]:
1. Soak chrysanthemum in hot water. After half an hour, pour out the chrysanthemum water and set aside;
3. Wash the rice, coix seed and lotus seeds, and pour them with the chrysanthemum water into the pot. After soaking for 1 hour, bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, and continue cooking over low heat;
4. When it is 60 percent cooked, add the washed lily, goji berry, red date and chrysanthemum petals, and continue cooking over low heat for 20 minutes.
Cassia seed chrysanthemum porridge
[Ingredients]: Cassia seeds, chrysanthemum, glutinous rice or rice, rock sugar.
[Steps]: First decoct cassia seeds and chrysanthemum to obtain juice, then use the juice to cook porridge, and add rock sugar according to taste.
[Effects]: Clearing heat and improving eyesight, detoxifying and beautifying, and moistening dryness.
Chinese medicinal chrysanthemum tea
The flowering period of chrysanthemum is about 20 days. Generally, flowering is relatively concentrated in early November. It should be harvested in batches, and the optimal harvest period is when 2/3 of the flower center (tubular flowers) has opened. Fully opened flowers not only diffuse their fragrance but also tend to scatter after processing, and the color is also poor. At harvest, cut or clip off the branch on which the flower is located from the fork, or cut off the flower head directly, and tie into small bundles to facilitate drying in the shade; then process immediately. Processing methods include shade drying, sun drying, and oven drying.
(1) Shade drying: In early November, when most flowers have entered the suitable harvest period, choose a sunny afternoon and cut them together with the flowering branches, completing the cutting in 2-3 batches, and hang them on a prepared rack. (2) Raw sun drying: Place the harvested fresh flowers with branches on a rack to dry in the shade for 1-2 months, cut off the flowers, spray 2-4 kg of clean water per 100 kg to make them evenly moist, then fumigate with sulfur for about 8 hours, using 2 kg of sulfur per 100 kg of chrysanthemum, to disinfect and bleach. After fumigation, air-dry slightly and it is the finished product. It is also possible to fumigate fresh flowers with sulfur after harvest.
(3) Steaming and sun drying: Place the harvested fresh chrysanthemum in a steamer (spread to a thickness of about 3 cm) and steam for 4-5 minutes, take it out and put it on a bamboo curtain to sun-dry, without turning. After 3 days of drying, it can be turned once; after 6-7 days of drying, pile it up to remoisten for 1-2 days, then sun-dry for another 1-2 days. When the flower center is completely hard, it is fully dry and can be the finished product. Hangju is a steamed and sun-dried product.
(4) Baking: Place fresh chrysanthemum on a bamboo curtain in a baking room (or spread on a baking sieve and place on a heated kang), with a thickness of 3-5 cm, and bake at about 60°C. Turn once when half dry, and when 90 percent dry, take it out and sun-dry slightly until fully dry, and it is the finished product. Gongju is a baked product. Among the above processing methods, the baking method is the best, drying quickly, with good quality and a high dry yield. Generally 5 kg of fresh flowers can process 1 kg of dry goods. The dry yield per mu of chrysanthemum is 100-150 kg.
Chrysanthemum snow pear milk soup
[Ingredients] 500 mL milk, 4 white chrysanthemum flowers, 4 snow pears, 20 g ginkgo. Appropriate amount of honey.
[Method]
1) Wash the white chrysanthemum and pick off the petals for later use; peel the snow pear, take the pear flesh and cut into pieces; remove the shell, skin and core of the ginkgo.
2) Put the ginkgo and snow pear pieces into a clay pot, pour in an appropriate amount of clean water, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat and simmer until the ginkgo is cooked.
3) Add the white chrysanthemum petals, bring the milk to a boil, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly, then add honey and mix well.
This soup should not be simmered at high temperature for a long time; in this way, the protein in the milk will not turn into a gel state, the nutritional value is relatively high, and it also has a smooth mouthfeel.
Medicinal uses and effects of chrysanthemum
The medicinal use of chrysanthemum refers to the dried capitulum of the Asteraceae plant chrysanthemum. It is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in China and has the effects of dispersing wind, clearing heat, improving eyesight and detoxifying. It mainly treats headache, dizziness, red eyes, restlessness and heat in the chest and heart, boils, swelling and toxins and other conditions. Modern pharmacological studies show that chrysanthemum has multiple pharmacological activities such as treating coronary heart disease, lowering blood pressure, preventing hyperlipidemia, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging. Chinese medicinal chrysanthemum has eight major mainstream commercial sources on the market, namely Hangju, Boju, Gongju, Chuju, Qiju, Huaiju, Jiju and Huangju, while Part I of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2000 edition) includes four varieties according to differences in origin and processing methods: Boju, Chuju, Gongju and Hangju. Chrysanthemum is a medicinal and edible homologous plant, and there have been reports at home and abroad on its classification, identification, chemistry, clinical use and pharmacology. Here only a summary is given of domestic and foreign research on the chemical components and pharmacological activities of chrysanthemum. Store in a cool, dry place, keep sealed, and protect from mold and insects.
Edible
The main cultivars include Lahuang, Xihuang, Xichibai, Guangzhouhong, etc., with Guangdong as the main producing area. These edible chrysanthemums are mainly used as precious ingredients for banquet soups and hot pot, and are popular and sell well in Hong Kong, China and Macao, China. Chrysanthemum nankingense is a vegetable loved by ordinary people in Nanjing, Jiangsu, usually used for soup or stir-frying, and has the effect of clearing heat and improving eyesight.
Health care
Cosmos chrysanthemum not only has ornamental value, but is also excellent for both medicine and food, and has good health-care effects.
[Chrysanthemum wine]: Made by fermenting chrysanthemum with glutinous rice and distiller's yeast, anciently called "longevity wine." It tastes cool and sweet, and has effects such as nourishing the liver, improving eyesight, strengthening the brain and delaying aging.
Contraindications
In the "List of Foods with Trace Fats" released by the World Health Organization at the end of 2008, tea fats were called the best trace fats in the world, and green tea, black tea and oolong tea were all included, but chrysanthemum tea, which is well known to Chinese people and often drunk, was not included.
Harm
French small chrysanthemum is one of the internationally famous top ten toxic ornamental flowers. Improper consumption may cause symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting. As a plant, chrysanthemum itself also has certain toxicity in its leaves and other parts. Direct consumption of its raw leaf stems or skin contact may cause symptoms such as itching, swelling and pain, and sore throat.
Cultural background and plant history of chrysanthemum
According to classical records, China has a history of more than 3,000 years of chrysanthemum cultivation. The earliest records are seen in the Zhou Guan and Bu Ya. The Liji, Yue Ling chapter says: "In the month of late autumn, the chrysanthemum has yellow blossoms," indicating that chrysanthemum blooms in the autumn month, and at that time they were all wild species with yellow flowers. From the Zhou dynasty to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, both the Shijing and Qu Yuan's Li Sao contain records of chrysanthemum. Li Sao has the line "In the morning I drink the fallen dew of magnolia, in the evening I eat the fallen blossoms of the autumn chrysanthemum." This shows that chrysanthemum and the culture of the Chinese nation formed an indissoluble bond long ago. In Xianyang, the capital of the Qin dynasty, there once appeared a grand market for chrysanthemum display and sale, which shows how flourishing chrysanthemum cultivation was at that time.
The Han dynasty Shennong Bencao Jing records: "Taken for a long time, chrysanthemum can lighten the body and prolong life." Xijing Zaji says: "When the chrysanthemum blooms, gather the stems and leaves together, mix them with millet and brew them; by the ninth day of the ninth month of the following year it is ready, and then it is drunk, so it is called chrysanthemum wine." At that time, the emperors' palace consorts all called it "longevity wine," regarded it as a tonic, and presented it to one another. This custom remained popular into the Three Kingdoms period. "The people of Shu planted many chrysanthemums, because the sprouts could be used as vegetables and the flowers as medicine; gardens were all planted with them, and in the suburbs wild chrysanthemums were gathered by fire for the pharmacies." From these records it appears that China's cultivation of chrysanthemum was initially for edible and medicinal purposes.
Tao Yuanming of the Jin dynasty (355-417) was addicted to chrysanthemums, and this was widely circulated. He wrote many lines in praise of chrysanthemum, such as "Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, I see the southern mountain in the distance"; and "Autumn chrysanthemums have fine color, and with dew I gather their blossoms," famous lines still widely admired today. At that time, senior officials admired his noble character and also planted many chrysanthemums for their own enjoyment, praising chrysanthemum as "fragrance perfuming a hundred herbs, color surpassing the host of flowers."
Tao Hongjing of the Southern and Northern Dynasties (452-536) divided chrysanthemum into two types: "true chrysanthemum" and "kuyi." Those with purple stems, fragrant aroma and sweet taste, whose leaves can be used in soup, are true chrysanthemum; those that are blue-purple and large, with an artemisia-mugwort odor and a bitter taste unbearable for eating, are called kuyi and are not true chrysanthemum. This further advanced the understanding of chrysanthemum.
In the Tang dynasty (618-907), chrysanthemum cultivation was already very common, and cultivation techniques were further improved, using grafting to propagate chrysanthemum; purple and white cultivars also appeared. For example, Li Shangyin's poem: "Dim and pale purple, harmonious and bright yellow." Bai Juyi's poem: "The whole garden of chrysanthemums is richly golden yellow, among them one clump is colored like frost," and so on, are clear evidence. At this time, chrysanthemum spread from China to Japan and won the appreciation of the Japanese people. Afterward they crossed chrysanthemum with several Japanese wild chrysanthemums, forming the Japanese cultivated chrysanthemum system.
In the Song dynasty, chrysanthemum cultivation flourished even more. With the improvement of cultivation and selection techniques, chrysanthemum cultivars also increased greatly. This was an important period when chrysanthemum shifted from medicinal use to garden ornament. The chrysanthemum records of this period classified the cultivated cultivars by flower color and also recorded flower shapes in relatively detailed fashion. Liu Meng's Jupu (1104) is the earliest monograph recording ornamental chrysanthemum, with 26 chrysanthemum cultivars. Fan Chengda's chrysanthemum record (1018) records 35 cultivars, among which "Hechan" and "Hong Erse" are the earliest records of the appearance of tube petals. Later, green "Lü Furong" and black "Mo Ju" also appeared in flower color. In cultivation, further experience was gained in shaping and pinching chrysanthemum, maintenance management, and using seed propagation to obtain new cultivars. Zhifu Guangji Wuji records: "In the gardens of Lin'an, whenever the Double Ninth Festival came, each produced rare flowers to compete for superiority, and this was called opening a chrysanthemum meeting." Hangzhou Fu Zhi records: "Lin'an had a flower market, and when chrysanthemums were in season, flower towers were made." It can be seen that in Lin'an, the capital during the Southern Song dynasty, there were flower markets and flower fairs. The chrysanthemum fair that has been handed down to the present day began in Hangzhou during the Southern Song dynasty. At the end of the Song dynasty, Shi Zhu's Baiju Jipu recorded 131 chrysanthemum cultivars.
In the Ming dynasty, chrysanthemum cultivation techniques were further improved, chrysanthemum cultivars increased, and chrysanthemum records also became more numerous. For example, Huang Xingzeng, Ma Bozhou, Zhou Lüchen, Gao Lian, Le Xiuyuan and others all wrote works, including Juhua. In Huang Xingzeng's Jupu, 220 chrysanthemum cultivars were recorded. Li Shizhen's Bencao Gangmu (1580) and Wang Xiangjin's Qunfang Pu (1630) both recorded chrysanthemum in considerable detail. Qunfang Pu made a comprehensive study of chrysanthemum cultivars, recording 92 yellow cultivars, 73 white cultivars, 32 purple cultivars, 35 red cultivars, 22 pink cultivars, and 17 unusual cultivars, totaling 6 categories and 271 cultivars; at least 16 flower types.
In the Qing dynasty there were even more monographs on chrysanthemum, including Chen Haozi's Huajing, Liu Hao's Guang Qunfang Pu, Xu Zhaoxiong's Dongli Zhongzheng, Lu Yancan's Yiju Zhi, Min Yankai's Yangju Fa, Xu Jing's Yiju Jianyi, Yan Lu's Yiju Xuzhi, Ji Nan's Jushuo, Chen Moushan's Yiju Suoyan, Wu Yiyi's Xuyuan Qiuhua Pu and so on. The book Huajing records that at that time chrysanthemum had 54 yellow cultivars, 32 white cultivars, 41 red cultivars, and 27 purple cultivars, totaling 154 cultivars. Ji Nan's Jushuo contains 233 chrysanthemum cultivars, among which more than 100 were newly bred, and it also proposed methods for chrysanthemum breeding. In the Qing dynasty, chrysanthemum cultivars increased day by day. During the Qianlong period, some people even presented rare chrysanthemums of various colors to the Qing emperor, and Qianlong once summoned the flower painter Zou Yizhu to the palace to paint, and had the works bound into volumes. Among literati, painting chrysanthemum and inscribing poems also became a common practice. Chinese chrysanthemum began to be introduced to Europe around the late Ming and early Qing, when in 1688 Dutch merchants introduced chrysanthemum from China to Europe for cultivation, and in 1689 the Dutch writer Breynius wrote a book titled The Great Oriental Famous Flower: Chrysanthemum. In the mid-18th century, Louis Bertta of France brought large-flowered Chinese chrysanthemum cultivars to France. In the 19th century, the British botanist Fortune successively introduced chrysanthemum species from Zhoushan Islands in Zhejiang Province, China, and Japan, and carried out cross-breeding, thus forming the various color types of British chrysanthemum. Soon afterward, they were spread from Britain to the United States. From then on, this famous flower was planted all over the world. China's cultivated chrysanthemum also became an important parent of today's Western chrysanthemum.
Since the Republic of China period, chrysanthemum cultivars were lost in large numbers, and there are no formal documents to verify them. After liberation, with the development of the horticultural industry, chrysanthemum also went through a tortuous course and grew stronger day by day. The cultivation history of chrysanthemum is part of the development of China's flower horticulture. In recent years, on the basis of inheriting predecessors' experience, cultivation techniques have been improved, and new technologies such as cross-breeding, radiation mutagenesis and tissue culture have been adopted, which not only improved the production quality of chrysanthemum but also sharply increased the number of cultivars, reaching more than 7,000 cultivars according to incomplete statistics. A single large chrysanthemum can bear more than 5,000 flowers. The development of desk chrysanthemum and bonsai chrysanthemum has further enhanced the ornamental value of chrysanthemum. Some provinces (cities) have also selected chrysanthemum as their provincial (city) flower, such as Beijing. National academic seminars have been held in succession, or chrysanthemum associations have been established, chrysanthemum books and periodicals have been published, and chrysanthemum exhibitions have been held every year, greatly popularizing chrysanthemum knowledge and exchanging the experience of artistic chrysanthemum cultivation, opening broad prospects for the cultivation and application of chrysanthemum in China.
Related poems
Jin dynasty, Tao Yuanming, "He Guo Zhubu":
Fragrant chrysanthemums bloom and shine in the woods, green pines crown the rocky ranks. Cherishing this steadfast and beautiful posture, they stand out as heroes beneath the frost.
Dynasty unknown, Chen Zhisui, "Autumn Chrysanthemum"
At the bottom of the valley beneath the peach shade, by the cliff grows a single clump.
In England it blooms when cold dew falls, and truly it does not rely on the east wind.
Tang dynasty, Huang Chao, "Ode to the Chrysanthemum"
Wait until autumn comes on the eighth day of the ninth month; after my flowers bloom, all other flowers die. A soaring fragrance pierces Chang'an, and the whole city wears golden armor.
Tang dynasty, Emperor Taizong, "On the Fading Chrysanthemum":
The orchids on the steps congeal in the summer frost, the chrysanthemums on the bank shine in the morning light. The dew is thick, few smile at dawn; the wind is strong, a faint lingering fragrance remains.
Slender leaves push out light green, round flowers cluster in tender yellow. Still holding this year's color, they will again bear fragrance in years to come.
Tang dynasty, Du Fu, "The Ninth Day at Yun'an":
The cold flowers have all finished blooming, yet chrysanthemum buds alone fill the branches. Those who once picked them have often changed, and the light fragrance briefly follows the wine.
Tang dynasty, Bai Juyi, "Ode to the Chrysanthemum":
Overnight new frost settles lightly on the tiles; the banana leaves are newly broken and the withered lotus has fallen. Only the chrysanthemums by the eastern hedge endure the cold; their golden grains have just opened and are clearer at dawn.
Tang dynasty, Yuan Zhen, "Chrysanthemum"
Autumn clumps surround the house like Tao's home; I walk all around the hedge as the sun gradually slants. It is not that among flowers I favor the chrysanthemum alone, but that when this flower finishes blooming there are no more flowers.
Tang dynasty, Wu Lülei, "Chrysanthemum"
Bright, bright golden skirt; graceful, graceful white jade skin. I know well that the season's favorites differ, yet it seems to share the cold of the year. I truly cannot bear for it to fall to the ground; clinging to its branch, it would rather wither on its own.
Tang dynasty, Li Shangyin, "Chrysanthemum":
Dark, dark and pale purple; warm, warm and seductive yellow. The color by Tao Ling's hedge, the fragrance in Luo Han's house.
When will it be spared the heavy dew? Truly it fears the setting sun. I wish it might float in a golden parrot cup and rise into your white jade hall.
Song dynasty, Su Shi, "Zhao Chang's Cold Chrysanthemum":
With light flesh and weak bones it scatters hidden blossoms, and further lets its golden stamens float in flowing clouds.
If you wish to know the medicine that reverses aging and extends life, it is this: when all grasses are destroyed, it then begins to flower.
Song dynasty, Fan Chengda, "Chrysanthemums After the Double Ninth":
Lonely by the eastern hedge, wet with dew's splendor, as before it shines from a golden house upon mud and sand. The ways of the world and its ordinary women lack lofty refinement; they look only at the flower of the one day of the Double Ninth.
Song dynasty, Lu You, "Picking Chrysanthemums on the Twelfth Day of the Ninth Month":
The yellow flowers are fragrant and wondrous beyond the world; at the Double Ninth they were wrongly paired with dogwood sprigs. Blooming late, it better shows its character of defying frost; it is laughable that children say it is out of season.
Song dynasty, Mei Yaochen, "Fading Chrysanthemum":
Scattered golden stamens, though withered they do not change their fragrance. Deep in the thicket hides a lone beauty, still able to fill the clear wine cup.
Song dynasty, Zhu Shuzhen, "Chrysanthemum":
The earth flower can be white and can be red, and in its late season it can still be loved for this craft. It would rather hold its fragrance and grow old on the branch than dance with the yellow leaves in the autumn wind.
Hu Bingyan, "Autumn Chrysanthemum"
A thousand poses and a hundred manners, beautiful as Ajiao; the wind is strong and the cold is chill, yet all bloom in dazzling enchantment. Adorning the late autumn, beautiful scenes burst open; hidden fragrance draws in weary butterflies to frolic.
Contemporary, Zuo Heshu, "Viewing Chrysanthemums on Shangjing Mountain in Xingzi County"
In Yuanming's hometown, clumps of wild chrysanthemums, alone in the sparse hedge, amid the delight. Willingly braving wind and frost, growing old on the branch; refusing to follow withered leaves and accompany the whirlwind.
Contemporary, Yu Yafei, "Wild Chrysanthemum"
On the field edges, riverbanks and hillsides, wild chrysanthemums grow in clumps with yellow flowers; amid the cold autumn season, they proudly bloom in defiance of frost and give off a clear fragrance.
The flower language of the chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum symbolism: purity, noble purity, remembrance, success, longevity.
Chrysanthemum flower language: purity, noble purity, I love you, true feeling
Flower language of various chrysanthemums
Red chrysanthemum: I love
White chrysanthemum: truth
Yellow chrysanthemum: neglected love
China aster: recollection, reliable love, please believe me
Spring chrysanthemum: divination for love
June chrysanthemum: parting
Winter chrysanthemum: parting
French small chrysanthemum: patience
Cineraria: happiness
Cosmos: wild beauty
Large cosmos: maidenly pure affection
Marigold: friendship
Cornflower: slender, elegant
Strawflower: eternal memory, engraved in the heart
Helipterum: forever love
Yellow chrysanthemum: rising in the world and winning success
White chrysanthemum: mourning, true candor
Red chrysanthemum: I love you
China aster: recollection, reliable love, please believe me
Spring chrysanthemum: divination for love
Winter chrysanthemum: parting
Blanket flower: unity
Marigold: friendship
Calendula: sorrow and jealousy
Cineraria: wealth and honor, lush prosperity
Cornflower: slender, elegant, the happiness of being single
Strawflower: eternal memory, engraved in the heart
Helipterum: forever love
Cineraria: happiness
June chrysanthemum: parting
Sun chrysanthemum: passion, vitality
Cosmos: wild beauty
Large cosmos: maidenly pure affection
French small chrysanthemum: patience
Blue water chrysanthemum: the fickle, stubborn, heartless you
Daisy (life-extending chrysanthemum): joy, happiness, purity, innocence, peace, hope, beauty
African daisy (Gerbera): mystery, excitement, perseverance, strong adaptability
Red pelargonium: you linger in my mind and will not leave
Pink pelargonium: very glad to be able to stay by your side
Chrysanthemum pictures