The National Flower of Japan is chrysanthemums sometimes called mums or chrysanths. It belongs to the family of Asteraceae and it’s scientific name is Chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemum comes from Greek word ‘Chrys’ meaning golden (the color of the original flowers), and ‘anthemon’, meaning flower. This name was given to it by Carolus Linnaeus, a Swedish naturalist who is also known as the father of modern taxonomy.
Chrysanthemum plants are just about the easiest of all of the perennials to grow. Mums should be planted in early spring after all danger of freezing, however they can be planted almost any time, as long as they have time to establish their root system before the hottest weather.
Chrysanthemums flower grow best and produce the most flowers if they are planted in full sunshine. They respond to plenty of food and moisture.
There are hundreds of varieties of Chrysanthemums, giving you a multitude of options for height, color, flower size and time of bloom. You can pick and choose to fit your wants and needs when you visit the nursery. In northern climates it is wise to purchase the earlier bloomers.
Similar: Nepal Rhododendron flower
Mums can be started as seeds, from cuttings and dividing, or can be purchased at a nursery in sizes from bedding plants up to gallon size and larger plants.
They should be planted into well prepared, fertile, sandy soil. Mums resent ‘wet feet’ so the hole should be dug extra deep. The plants should be spaced 18-30 inches apart for best results. Feed lightly every 2 weeks with a good balanced all purpose fertilizer.
When the plants are 6 inches tall, pinch about 3/4 of an inch from each branch to promote more blooms and bushier plants. When they reach a foot tall, pinch them again. On the largest flowering types it is best to remove all buds except for the one on top.
Chrysanthemums should be divided every three to five years to avoid overcrowding and promote maximum flowering same as Red Carnation flower
The Chrysanthemum flowers bloom in various forms, and can be daisy-like, decorative, pompons or buttons. Chrysanthemum blooms come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes and in a wide range of colors. In addition to the traditional yellow, other popular colors are white, purple, and red.
10 Facts About Chrysanthemum Flower: you should know
- Chrysanthemum is a native and popular flower of Japan country.
- The plant is renowned as one of the Four Gentlemen in Chinese and East Asian art.
- The Emperor of Japan adopted the flower as his official seal. The “Festival of Happiness” in Japan celebrates the flower.
- Over 140 varieties of chrysanthemum have gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
- Yellow or white chrysanthemum flowers of the species C. Omori folium are boiled to make a sweet drink in some parts of Asia. The resulting beverage is known simply as chrysanthemum tea
- In Korea, a rice wine flavored with chrysanthemum flowers is called gukhwaju
- Chrysanthemum japan national flower leaves are steamed or boiled and used as greens, especially in Chinese cuisine.
- The flowers may be added to thick snake meat soup to enhance the aroma. Small chrysanthemums are used in Japan as a sashimi (very fresh raw meat or fish sliced into thin pieces) garnish
- Pyrethrum (Old World plants now classified as Chrysanthemum or Tanacetum) is economically important as a natural source of insecticide (a substance used to kill insects)
- Chrysanthemum plants have been shown to reduce indoor air pollution by the NASA Clean Air Study
- In some countries of Europe (France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Croatia), chrysanthemums are symbolic of death and are used only for funerals or on graves
- In Australia, the chrysanthemum flower is sometimes given to mothers for Mother’s Day, which falls in May in the southern hemisphere’s autumn, which is when the flower is naturally in season. Men may sometimes also wear it in their lapels to honor mothers
Why is Chrysanthemum the national flower of Japan
Chrysanthemums flowers were first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC. An ancient Chinese city (Xiaolan Town of Zhongshan City) was named Ju-Xian, meaning “chrysanthemum city”.
- Read: Why Red Poppy is the flower of Belgium
The plant is particularly significant during the Double Ninth Festival. In Japan, the chrysanthemum is a symbol of the Emperor and the Imperial family. In particular, a “chrysanthemum crest i.e. a mon of chrysanthemum blossom design, indicates a link to the Emperor; there are more than 150 patterns of this design.
Notable uses of and reference to the Imperial chrysanthemum include: The Imperial Seal of Japan, used by members of the Japanese Imperial family.
In 1869, a two-layered, sixteen petal designs were designated as the symbol of the Emperor. Princes used a simpler single-layer pattern) A number of formerly state-endowed shrines have adopted a chrysanthemum crest; most notable of these is Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine.c) .
The Chrysanthemum Throne is the name given to the position of Japanese Emperor and the throne. The Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum is a Japanese honor awarded by the Emperor on the advice of the government)In Imperial Japan, small arms were required to be stamped with the Imperial Chrysanthemum, as they were considered the personal property of the Emperor.
The city of Nihonmatsu, Japan hosts the “Nihonmatsu Chrysanthemum Dolls Exhibition” every autumn in historical ruin of Nihonmatsu Castle.g)
The chrysanthemum is also considered to be the seasonal flower of September. Chrysanthemums are some of the most popular flowers in the world. Due to all these facts Chrysanthemum is the national flower of Japan country.
Some other popular and famous japan national flowers are: Cherry blossom , Japaneses cherry, sakura bloom, Japaneses blossom and plum blossom flower .
Similar flowers:
- France national flower
- Malaysia national flower
The post Chrysanthemum: The National Flower of Japan appeared first on Read National.
