Chrysanthemum appreciation at Double Ninth: large chrysanthemums stand steady and noble, small chrysanthemums are exquisite and have become the new darling of floral art

"When the Double Ninth day comes, I shall come back for the chrysanthemums." Meng Haoran's poem still fits the season today. Chrysanthemums rank first in China for the volume of flowers used in rituals, and they were once a dazzling star of the floral industry.

Some people think chrysanthemums are old-fashioned, but in fact chrysanthemums come in diverse forms. Not only are the large chrysanthemums on altars steady and imposing, but the cute and vivid small chrysanthemums, such as the round ping-pong chrysanthemum and the decorative chrysanthemum, have become the new darlings of flower shops and floral design classes. For ancestor worship at Double Ninth, you might as well arrange a pot of chrysanthemums at home yourself, fitting the season and soothing to the heart.

Most chrysanthemum varieties in China are introduced from abroad. The Taichung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station also has a chrysanthemum variety garden and has bred 10 varieties. Chen Jianming, an acting staff member at the station, said that as extreme climate becomes more frequent, whether self-owned varieties with high environmental tolerance can be bred will become the key to sustaining the chrysanthemum industry.

Chrysanthemums were once Taiwan's leading flower and achieved outstanding export results, but in recent years only domestic sales remain

The chrysanthemum is one of the Four Gentlemen among flowers, and the Eastern Jin scholar Tao Yuanming loved chrysanthemums most. The chrysanthemum is also called the flower of longevity. The Double Ninth Festival falls when chrysanthemums are in full bloom, making it the best time to appreciate them, and it carries the meaning of praying for longer life. Chrysanthemums can also be seen in ordinary temple rituals and Qingming ancestor worship.

Chen Jianming, acting staff at the Taichung Agricultural Research and Extension Station, said that people use chrysanthemums for rituals or event displays, and chrysanthemums were the first successfully developed item in the floral industry. Thirty years ago, when China's floral industry was just starting, it was also the glorious era of chrysanthemums. In 1989, the total planted area of cut flowers in China was 2,785 hectares, nearly half of which was chrysanthemums. That year, Taiwan's chrysanthemum exports to Japan amounted to 4,195 metric tons, with a total value of more than NT$200 million.

The elegance and steadiness of chrysanthemums deeply won the hearts of Japanese people, but checking the Council of Agriculture data reveals that chrysanthemum exports declined year after year after 1989. Chen Jianming explained that the yearly decrease in exports is because Taiwan's environment has a subtropical climate, with higher temperatures and large fluctuations, and cultivation