Episode 42: Fall Fashionistas & Pretty Pesticide- Chrysanthemums
Hello and welcome back to another episode of Rooted! This week we are finally digging into a highly requested fall floral- chrysanthemum.
Chrysanthemums are a member of the asteraceae family, with famous relatives like daisies, sunflowers, and even things like lettuce, if you can believe that!
Mums are originally native to eastern asia, and while there are now thousands of different cultivars, there are a few general rules of thumb to look for that can help you identify them! Firstly, they are perennial sub-shrubs, meaning that most of them will form compact but kind of large clumps growing to be about 3’ in diameter and maybe 1 foot to 11/2 feet tall, they have hairy stalks, alternating leaves that can be pinnate (like a feather) or serrated, andthey are best know n for their flower heads, which are actually made of 2 parts- the center, which is actually an inflorescence made up of hundreds of tiny flowers, and the ray flower, which is made of up the rows and rows of petals surrounding the center!
IN the wild, most mum varieties are yellow, but with all of these fancy cultivars we have developed, mums can be pretty much any color you can think of…except for maybe blue- that is a tough one for mother nature in most cases. With so many cultivars, the blooms can look very different from variety to variety, but the basic shapes are pin cushion- a rounder, more compact bloom, Single – Daisy-like single blooms
Decorative – Blooms flat on the back, slightly convex on the top, dense petals
Incurve – Large compact, globe-shaped blooms
Reflex – Large blooms with irregularly growing petals
Pompom – Small, dense blooms, grow in masses
Anemone – Single blooms with large centers
Spoon – Daisy-like blooms with curved, spoonlike petal tips
Quill – Thin tube-like petals
Spider – Long, gracefully drooping petals with coiled ends
As if that kind of variety weren’t enough, some people even bonsai these guys in a nerve-wracking 6-11 month process, Where most bonai are crafted over decades, these tiny guys are developed over months- leaving little room for error, in an art that isn’t known for being the easiest to start with
But let me tell you- they are ADORABLE. I saw some that look like a standard boasi tree, but covered in the sweetest little blooms. Truly heart melting stuff.
Bonsai have always been a bit of a conundrum- even in terms of their meaning across cultures. Across asia, but especially in china where they originated, they are said to represent good fortune, luck, and prosperity. With their abundance of petals symbolizing the abundance to come. It is because of this symbolism- and their beauty, that they have become a staple in culture and symbolism across the continent, where they are placed on official seals, given as gifts, and even have full festivals dedicated to them.
In addition to symbolizing good fortune, Chrysanthemums were also a crucial plant in Chinese medicine, with some variety’s roots being used to make a tea, which was said to help fight inflammation, cool the body, and even reduce blood pressure, with modern research backing up a lot of these claims! While I wouldn't say to use this tea in place of your hypertension medications, I do think it’s a tasty way to help with some of these ailments!
On the flip side, chrysanthemums are often closely tied to death across europe and in louisiana, as they are very commonly planted in cemeteries to honor the dead as they bring a much needed pop of color and life, and can withstand the harsh winter better than a lot of the other common flowers left to honor the dead.
Due to them being a popular choice for graveyards, most folks weren’t too keen to receive them as a gift, especially in a bouquet, as it was said that they brought bad luck- especially if they were picked from a cemetery, where they would bring sadness and loss along with them….so definitely not something to get your lover for valentine's day back in those days!
While today most people associate mums with fall and fortune, they do still bring a sense of doom and dread to our many-legged friends- insects. This is because the fruits and flowers of crysthanamum contain a chemical known as Pyrethrum, which is the active chemical in pyrethrin- a commonly used pesticide. . It works by attacking the central nervous system of most insects, and can be applied as a powder, or more commonly, suspended in oil or water.
It’s also very harmful to fish, so it’’s not recommended for use anywhere near large bodies of water or other places those friends are present, but it is significantly less harmful to mammals, which is why its popular for application in typical landscapes. One thing to note though is that it’s effective against ALL insects- even the beneficial guys like bees, butterflies, and other bugs who are minding their own business trying to enjoy their space.
While mums may be a bit of bad news for old timey frenchmen and fruit flies alike, there are still plenty of folks who can’t get enough of these vibrant fall blooms. The next time you see some, I hope you take a second to say hello, and ponder the countless lifetimes we have spent getting them to look the way they do now!
