The Incredible Edible Chrysanthemum
If there is one thing that I’m always looking for, it’s an edible perennial green that also tastes good. Dandelions are great, but they’re bitter (which not everyone in my family likes) and not suited to cooking because they shrivel up into tough strings, better lending itself to pesto that goes divine with brie and some crusty french bread (but that is a post for some other time.) In comes a plant from my ancestry of China–edible chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum Nankingense.) It is one of the few, hardy perennials suitable to Long Island that provides delicious dark greens that are mild in flavor all year round, and can therefore be used similarly to spinach, except that it doesn’t dissolve into a slippery mess the way spinach does if you cook it for too long. It’s one of the first vegetables out in spring, coming up from the ground where the tops had died down the year before.
I sautee it, stuff dumplings with it, put it in soups, make panjeon (savory Korean pancakes) with it etc. I usually pinch off the tender new leaves, which also helps it bush out. It comes back year after year, becoming bushier and bushier until you decide to split it so now you’ll have two of these useful plants instead of just one!
In Chinese, we call it Ju Hua Lao, and not only are its leaves edible, but its flowers smell amazing and make delightful tea. When we go dimsum (a Chinese style breakfast in which we order things off carts that come around), chrysanthemum tea is our go-to drink, slightly sweet and flowery, without the astringency of regular red or black tea. Edible Chrysanthemum flowers are smaller than regular tea chrysanthemums, about the size of your pinky fingernail, but twice as fragrant. If you ever go to an Asian supermarket, you might find a small bag of the dried flowers for an extortionate price. Chrysanthemum is touted as a cooling herb, so the flower tea is often sweetened and chilled during the summer to help beat the heat. It does require full sun to be truly happy, and very drought tolerant once established. It is also suitable to all sorts of soil and tolerates a wide range of acidity.
To propagate, you can either do it by seed (which I have had no luck), or split from the roots. It will look as though it is wilting when you first plant new splits, but if kept well watered, it bounces back and becomes as vigorous as the parent plant. Thankfully, it is not invasive at all, and will not spread if you don’t propagate it. I haven’t seen any plants for sale, or even seeds but it seems the Chinese community always has some floating around–I got mine from my parents who got their from who knows where. If you want something nice for your edible permascape, this is one plant you can’t skip out on!
A word of caution however, chrysanthemums do have some toxins in them that can cause gastrointestinal issues if eaten in large quantities. While I have eaten them throughout my life, it’s always a good idea to try a little first before you dive in. As always, everything in moderation!
Plant Profile
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum Nankingense
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 9
Perennial, leafy vegetable with edible flowers. Drought tolerant. Requires full sun. Dies down to the ground every year. Leaves are used in dishes during the spring, and flowers are dried and made into tea. Propagating by root division is more reliable than by seed, but can also be propagated by cuttings.