Detailed Explanation of the Key Cultivation and Management Techniques for Feverfew

Basic Information

Latin name: chryanthemumparthenium

Aliases: Button Daisy

Flower Overview

Strongly aromatic, about 45 cm tall, with pale yellow small leaves, and flowers shaped like daisies. Distributed in lush, uncultivated areas of Eurasia. Eating feverfew leaves can relieve headaches and migraines, but some people develop mouth blisters after eating them. For fever, headache, or general pain, taking an infusion of the leaves of the whole plant is safer. It can also be used as a tincture for mosquito and insect bites. Continuously taking small doses of the hot infusion during childbirth helps with regular contractions.

Main Characteristics

A perennial herbaceous flower, with notched leaf bases and pure white jade-like flowers. It has a chrysanthemum fragrance, a long flowering period, and upright flower stems, and each plant can produce nearly a hundred flowers.

Cultivation Methods

Feverfew is a biennial herbaceous flower in the Asteraceae family, with a plant height of 15 to 25 cm, alternate leaves, and once- or twice-pinnately lobed leaves. The capitulum is terminal, disc-shaped, with silvery white ligulate florets at the edges and golden yellow tubular florets in the center, with distinct and vivid colors, and a flower diameter of 3 to 4 cm. It can bloom when the plant height reaches 15 cm, and the flowering period is from late winter to early summer, with March to May being its full bloom period. After flowering, it forms achenes, which mature in late May. White Crystalline Daisy is short and robust, with many flowers, an early flowering period, and a long flowering period. When planted in masses, it is dazzling and eye-catching, suitable for potted cultivation, combined potted ornamental display, or beautifying early spring flower beds.

Feverfew prefers a sunny and cool environment, and flowering is poor when light is insufficient. It is cold-tolerant but not heat-tolerant, and the optimum growth temperature is 15°C to 25°C. When cultivated in open field flower beds, it can overwinter safely above -5°C. Below -5°C for a prolonged low temperature, the leaves may freeze, dry up, and turn yellow, but when the temperature rises, it can still sprout leaves, form buds, and bloom. White Crystalline Daisy avoids high temperature and high humidity. In summer, as the temperature rises, the flowers fade faster, and growth is poor above 30°C. Placing it in a cool and ventilated environment can extend the flowering period.

Feverfew has strong adaptability and is not choosy about soil, but it grows best when planted in loose, fertile, moist loam or sandy loam. Usually keep the growing medium moist, but never let it stay overly wet for a long time, which causes root rot and affects growth and development. During the growing period, apply a nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizer once every half month, with a ratio of 2:1:2. White Crystalline Daisy has many flowers and an extremely long flowering period, so during the flowering period it also needs timely supplementation of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. After the flowers fade, if seeds are not to be saved, the spent flowers can be cut off at any time to encourage side branches to produce new buds, increase the number of flowers, and extend the flowering period.

Feverfew is propagated by sowing, usually sown in autumn from September to October, and the suitable germination temperature is 15°C to 20°C. When sowing, mix the seeds evenly with a small amount of fine sand or growing medium and broadcast them in a seedbed or seedling tray, cover with soil to a thickness that just hides the seeds, keep moist, and they germinate in 5 to 8 days. After the seedlings form, apply a light topdressing to promote strong seedling growth, and after 4 to 5 true leaves have grown, transplant them into a seedbed or nutrient pot for further cultivation. Although White Crystalline Daisy is cold-tolerant, in winter the seedlings are best placed in a plastic greenhouse or cold frame to let them continue growing, with timely watering and fertilizing and timely removal of flower buds to promote an increase in crown diameter. Moving them outdoors or into flower beds in early spring of the following year can enhance their ornamental effect.

Cultivation Points

Suitable germination temperature: 15-23°C

Suitable growth temperature: 20-35°C

Sowing period: January-March

Flowering period: May-July

Seedling raising:

Fine seeds germinate in 7-10 days

When there are 4 true leaves, transplant at a spacing of 20 cm

Key Points for Pest Control

The tender stems of chrysanthemum plants are very susceptible to aphid damage. If aphids are found, control them promptly.

(1) 2.5% rotenone, 150 ml per mu, diluted 500 times with water and sprayed; flowers can be harvested after 7-10 days.

(2) Imidacloprid 10-15 g, diluted 5000-7500 times with water and sprayed; harvest flowers after 7-10 days.