Among the existing flowers, only a rose can exceed chrysanthemum in prevalence. In late autumn, when all other flowers fade, she generally becomes the queen of the garden. Chrysanthemums have been known since time immemorial. In China, they were cultivated already in the days of Confucius.
In Japan, a flower, which is a symbol of longevity, received divine veneration and even became an element of imperial heraldry, like lilies in France and roses among the British.
Chrysanthemums in Japan
Chrysanthemum is very popular due to its decorative use, as it can decorate balconies, gardens, home interiors with its unique charm.
What does a chrysanthemum look like?
The genus Chrysanthemum belongs to the family Asteraceae. By the way a chrysanthemum looks, you can confuse it with the genus Bellis, to which the daisy belongs. However, the size of the flowers, the thickness of the petals, the smell, the dimensions of the plant and the shape of the leaves are completely different in both species, although both of them belong to the same family.
In the description of chrysanthemums, flowers are the main thing, but without the characteristic of the whole plant, it will be incomplete. This is a small flower bush with a common trunk, on the upper end is very deciduous. The plant can be annual and perennial, medium size, can reach 1.5 m in height.
Leaves are ovoid or lanceolate, dentate or lobed, 4 to 9 cm long, 4 to 6 cm wide, their color varies from light green to dark green with a slight grayish tint, sometimes pubescent. As a rule, they have a bitter aroma.
Flower description
Chrysanthemum flowers have different colors: white, golden, yellow, pink, orange, etc.
Flowering occurs in late summer or autumn, even in November. Although in artificial conditions, year-round flowering can be stimulated.
Inflorescences have the shape of a basket. Petals, or rather female reed flowers, can be rounded, grouped in the form of a hat, or located only along the edges of central dense clusters of small hermaphroditic tubular flowers. Basket inflorescences, which in some species reach 20 cm in diameter, have flat, whole, laminated, straight or curved petals twisted at the ends, etc. There are also undersized varieties in which the heads are relatively small, with yellow, violet, white and orange petals. This is Korean chrysanthemum.
Important! The variable shape of the flowers, as well as the number and location of the petals, depend on the fitness of the plant species for different climates, temperature and other conditions.
A chrysanthemum flower is so attractive for its beauty and variety that there are techniques for creating artificial flowers, for example, from corrugated paper or crocheted.
What are the inflorescences of chrysanthemum, can be seen in the example of one of the classifications adopted in Europe:
- Simple. Consist of one or two rows of radial reed flowers with central tubular flowers. The inflorescence resembles a daisy;
Simple chrysanthemum inflorescence
- Anemones Looks like simple, but with concentric elongated tubular flowers. Coloring of radial and concentric flowers may be the same or not;
Anemone inflorescence
- Spherical. In the inflorescence, radial flowers bend inward;
Spherical inflorescence
- Terry. Inflorescences are rounded, with flowers curving outward and downward;
- Half Terry. Up to five rows of radial flowers on an inflorescence, the central disk stands out;
- Hemispherical. Remind spherical, but with shorter petals;
- Obvious. Radial flowers have a tubular shape.
Lusoid inflorescence
- Pompons. Spherical shape, without concentric flowers, only with short and uniform radial petals;
- Flat. Similar to pompons, but the outer rows of flowers are longer than the central ones, which gives the inflorescence a flat irregular shape;
Flat inflorescence
- Curly. External flowers in inflorescences of a spherical shape bend outward, central - inward.
Curly inflorescence
How does chrysanthemum grow
Chrysanthemum has long been successfully cultivated in Russia, as a garden plant can be grown in a pot on the balcony, as well as at home.
The root is powerful, prone to growth, buried in the soil by 0.25-0.3 m. The stems are straight, grow more often in the form of a bush.
Step-by-step instructions for growing chrysanthemum with your own hands:
- Plants cannot tolerate nearby groundwater, so it is best to plant them on a hill;
- These flowers love the sun, but during and after planting, they suffer from direct sunlight. Therefore, it is recommended to plant young seedlings in the morning or in the evening, on a cloudy or slightly cloudy day. In sunny weather, after planting, plants should be watered and then shaded with an artificial screen.
Important! The best landing time for almost any grade is May. Sometimes flowers are planted in the fall, but no later than September 15.
- During planting to a depth of 35-40 cm, a drainage layer is laid: broken bricks, gravel, coarse river sand. The soil for chrysanthemums is often mixed with vermicompost in the ratio of 18: 1 or 20: 1;
- The root system is usually parallel to the ground, so large varieties are recommended to be planted at a distance of at least half a meter from each other. Low-growing flowers can be planted to a depth of 25-35 cm;
- Caring for chrysanthemums is easy, but following certain rules is necessary. For irrigation it is recommended to use settled rainwater, irrigation should be done regularly, about 2 times a week;
- Lighting should be moderate, especially in the morning.
Important! The critical length of daylight to initiate flowering should be 14.5 hours. Otherwise, the formation of flower buds is inhibited. When grown in a greenhouse or in a house, plants respond well to artificial illumination.
- When caring for plants during flowering, they need to be fertilized every 2 weeks with liquid preparations, which should include potassium and phosphorus;
Important! Fertilizer should be applied to the soil near its surface, avoiding contact with the aerial part of the plant.
- When cutting off the tips of the shoots, the chrysanthemum bush grows in width. Wilted shoots are regularly removed.
For winter, heat-loving chrysanthemums are transplanted into specially prepared containers, having previously cut the stems to 25 cm. The room temperature should be about 5 ° C. In the spring, when young shoots appear, they are carefully watered. Frost-resistant species are left in the soil when pruning stems almost under the root. They are covered with wooden boxes, throwing a coating on top.
What are chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemum species are complex hybrids that produce many varieties with different characteristics in terms of shape, size and color. Some varieties are united by color, others are grouped by place of origin, and others by resistance to various types of climate.
Red
Red chrysanthemum is not assigned to individual varieties. This color may be present in different species. The oldest come from China. They have been grown there for over 3,000 years. In Catholic Europe, these flowers are widely used to celebrate All Saints Day. A branch of such a chrysanthemum is considered the best option for a gift to loved ones.
Red chrysanthemum
Terry
Terry called chrysanthemum, having inflorescences of a certain shape. Various types also belong to this type. Its inflorescence is round, fluffy, flowers can be slightly twisted and bend down or towards the central part.
Terry Chrysanthemum
Large flowered
Chrysanthemums are considered large if the diameter of the inflorescence is 10 cm or more. They have low resistance to frost, do not leave plants in the open ground for the winter.
Exel
Shrub view, with strong stems. Inflorescences in the shape of a ball with a diameter of 9-12 cm of white-pink color;
Evelyn bush
White terry inflorescence with an average diameter of 90 mm. It looks very elegant. The height of the bush is 50-80 cm. It blooms from August to frost. Flowers tolerate frosts down to -3 ° C.
Chrysanthemum Evelyn Bush
Zlata Prague
Hemispherical inflorescence of reddish-golden color. It blooms in August. Height - up to 1 m. Bush overgrowth quickly occurs with strong peduncles and dark green leaves.
Chrysanthemum Zlata Prague
Small-flowered
In temperate climates, the primary property of small chrysanthemums is their frost resistance. Bushes immediately planted at a constant distance, between them - 30-40 cm. Abundant flowering is typical for small chrysanthemums. It is better to decorate gardens and household plots with them than to use for cutting. Inflorescences can be simple and terry. Diameter is about 3 cm.
Multiflora
Shrub of low growth of the correct spherical shape. Its height rarely exceeds 50 cm. The colors of these chrysanthemums are very diverse and bright. The leaves are small, invisible under dozens of inflorescences.
Chrysanthemum Multiflora
Important! There is no need to form Multiflora bushes. She herself forms spherical forms, this ability in plants at the genetic level.
Ida
One of the subspecies of Multiflora with similar characteristics. Inflorescences in the form of pompons of pinkish-lilac shades.
Chrysanthemum Ida
Lush chrysanthemums
Varieties of fluffy chrysanthemums are especially in demand among gardeners.
Astroid
This is a variety of lush chrysanthemums, with a yellow inflorescence in the shape of a hemisphere and a tall stem (70-80 cm). Refers to single-headed plants. The flowers are dense, with a bend to the center of the inflorescence.
Chrysanthemum Astroid
Bowl
Another one-headed variety with spherical inflorescence of white color (12-15 cm in diameter), turning into soft green tones closer to the center.
Chrysanthemum Bowl
Of the other popular varieties, one can distinguish the Stadium, or rather the chrysanthemum Stallion. This is one of the most unpretentious plants. The inflorescence resembles anemone, small flowers have a white, yellowish, pinkish color.
Chrysanthemum Stallion
Colored, or tricolor, chrysanthemums (the botanical name is Crysanthemum tricolor or Crysanthemum carinatum) came from Morocco. Bushes can reach 60 cm in height and 30 cm in width. The leaves are numerous, fleshy. It blooms in summer or autumn. What do the flowers of such a chrysanthemum look like? The inflorescence is simple, but has a very original color, forming a combination of multi-colored concentric circles.
Crysanthemum tricolor
Interesting. Before flowering, the delicate shoots of this plant can be used in food, raw and boiled.
By the time of flowering, summer or early chrysanthemum is distinguished. It blooms when the average day and night temperature reaches 15 ° C. For example, daytime is 25 ° C, and nighttime is 10 ° C. In Russia, this is July-August. Mostly early blooming are Korean chrysanthemums.
Each grower has favorite flowers, a rose or a lily, a chamomile or a gladiolus, but almost everyone is delighted with chrysanthemums. A variety of shapes and colors, unique in their own way for a certain variety, unpretentiousness in care, flowering to the very frosts provide chrysanthemums with a popularity that only grows with time.
