Chrysanthemum indicum /kɹɪˈsænθəməm/
Common name: Indian chrysanthemum · Small-flowered chrysanthemum · Ye ju hua
Chrysanthemum indicum is a herbaceous perennial native to East Asia, especially China and Japan, where it grows on slopes, riverbanks, and thickets. Despite its epithet, it is not native to India; Linnaeus named it from material thought to come from the East Indies. It bears masses of small, daisy-like yellow or white flower heads in autumn over deeply lobed, aromatic foliage. It is a major parent of the modern garden chrysanthemum and is also grown for its edible flowers used in teas and traditional Chinese medicine.
Care summary
Sun
Full sun to light shade
Water
Moderate; drought-tolerant once established
Soil
Well-drained, fertile; tolerates poor soils
Hardiness
Zones 4–9
Mature height
About 30–100 cm (1–3 ft)
Pet safe
No; toxic to cats and dogs
Difficulty
Moderate
Propagation
Propagate by softwood cuttings in spring or by division of established clumps. Take 8-10 cm cuttings from non-flowering shoots, remove the lower leaves, and root them in a moist, gritty compost with bottom warmth.
Fun facts
- Its flowers are dried and brewed into a popular herbal tea in China and Korea.
- The species is one of the principal ancestors of the thousands of modern garden chrysanthemum cultivars.
- Linnaeus coined the name "indicum" in 1753, mistakenly believing the plant came from the East Indies.
- In traditional Chinese medicine the wild form (ye ju hua) has long been used as a cooling herb.