Plant of the Month

Each month Martin Shann will describe a wild plant of particular interest that grows locally.

Following months will feature wild plants that can be found next to our footpaths.

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January

November 2009 Plant of the month - Chrysanthemum

A taste of the Orient

In the Orient, Chrysanthemum is also appreciated for its taste and the edible chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum coronaria, is grown for its tender green leaves which are used to flavour soups and stir fry vegetables. Known in the west as ‘chop suey greens’, it has a quite distinct taste that is guaranteed to

In many parts of the world the Chrysanthemum is known as the flower of November. It has been cultivated in China for the beauty of its flowers for over two thousand years.

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Later in around 850 AD it was chosen as the heraldic symbol of the Emperor of Japan and his court. An institution that became known as ‘The Chrysanthemum Throne’.

The dried flower heads of the closely related Chrysanthemum coccineum, known as the Persian chrysanthemum were used to make a natural insecticide known as ‘Persian Insect Powder’ or ‘Persian Pellitory’. It was active against lice and mosquitoes and the preparation was for many years a closely guarded secret. Eventually the active ingredient was isolated and is the source of the most widely used natural insecticide which we know as Pyrethrum.

Photo of edible chrysanthemum taken this week, thanks to David Cox, Saitamaken, Japan.

produce feelings of nostalgia in any oriental person. It could be because of this that it was carried along the Silk Road to the Mediterranean where it can now be seen colonising most of the area, often in great swathes of golden flowers.