First cultivated in China as a flowering herb in the 15th century BC. An ancient Chinese city Xiaolan was named Ju-Xian meaning ‘Chrysanthemum city’. It is suggested the flower was introduced to Japan in the 8th century. There is even a ‘Festival of Happiness’ in Japan celebrating the flower which was brought to Europe in the 17th century. Linnaeus named it using the Greek for ‘golden’ chrysous due to the colour of its original flowers. They are very easy to cultivate, provide a vibrant amount of colour and can be used in different designs and forms. Flowering in autumn they can have spirals, globes and feather like petals.
