CHRYSANTHEMUM

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Just as the peony represents richness and grace, the chrysanthemum, which blooms in the cold days of late autumn and early winter, represents nobility and elegance.

The flower comes in several varieties but originally the chrysanthemum was just a small yellow flower that has been dated back to 5000 BC. After generations of cultivation, the number of varieties grew rapidly. In the Chrysanthemum Book of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), 35 varieties were noted but by the time of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the number had risen to 136. In Li Shizhen's famous book, "Ben Cao Gang Mu", finished in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), more than 900 varieties of chrysanthemum were listed. Today more than 3,000 varieties are blooming in China.

One reason for the flower's popularity among the Chinese people is the favour it found with scholars. The chrysanthemum, also known as the "Autumn Flower", is one of the four "honourable plants". The others are plum, orchid and bamboo which are symbols of nobility. For on cold autumn days, when all other flowers were fading away, only the chrysanthemum was able to flourish in the cold winds. The combination of beauty with strong character made an ideal personality in the eyes of romantic Chinese scholars.

One famous poet, Tao Yuanming (365-427), is also recognized as a poet who had a deep affection for the flower. His most famous poem is about the chrysanthemum: "Pick a chrysanthemum near a fence and enjoy the mountain in the south at your leisure. This poem, entitled "Drinking Wine", was written when he resigned from his high official post and returned to the countryside to live as a farmer. Even when he was too poor to buy wine - drinking was his hobby - he could pick the petals of chrysanthemums and use them as food. In his poverty-stricken and lonely later life, the chrysanthemum was his only friend and comfort.

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