Chrysanthemum (mum)

Chrysanthemum (mum) in Japanese is “kiku”. And it has flower’s name “nobie”. It is a taxon of plantae magnoliophyta magnoliopsida asteraler asteraceae chrysanthemum cherysanthemum ×morifolium and this is very beautiful flower what has a variety colors…white , yellow, red, purple, peach, for example. It is a popular flower in Japan.

Mum is plant that has many kinds– about 20 thousand varieties of in the world of chrysanthemum. And Mum is one kind in the taxonomy, over 100 kinds “mum” of original. They can be divided two ways. First “east or west,” where it lived originally. Take for example The Margueite and French chrysanthemum which originates in Europe and is called “Yougiku”. The Syunngiku and Nojigiku live in Asia and are called “Wagiku”.

Second it is three head flowers sizes,”big “ flower’s diameter is about over 20cm, “median” diameter is about 10cm, and “small” diameter is about 5cm.(Image 4) Especially, the “big” variety has several kinds Atumono, Atubasiri, Kanmono, itimonji, Ootubomi , and are divided by flower’s shape. (Image 2, 3)

Chrysanthemum is very strong plant that can live in mostly places expect very severe places … desert, and the polar circle. But Mum usually live in Temperate zone, especially, grow where has rain, and good soil. Summer mum grows in May～July. Autumn mum grows in October ~ November. Summer and Autumn grows in July~ October. And finally, Cold mum grows in December ~ January. In this way, they have own temperature and weather for growing.

Mum can grow about 30~150cm and have leaves the shape of lobation some flower in each season by kinds. And they have petal that have some variety of kinds, some have rising petal to center, and the another one, has long petal under a thick petal, And “Syokuyougiku”s flowers can be eaten in of some dish, for example “Ohitasi” where of flower is boiled, “Sunomono” where of flower mired with vinegar, “Tempura”, “Suimono” and”Kikunori”,”Hosigiku”,”Nosigiku” what drying flowers are called after steaming or boiling.

Mum’s origin is crossbreeding of “Thousengiku and “Haisimagiku” in China. And it came to Japan in age of Nara, about 1400 years ago. After that it changed into about 20 kinds in wild for surviving in a variety Japanese environment. Now they are living in Japan of original for example in Shikoku, “Siogiku” is the original, moreover Japanese grew and crossbred them and gardening and eating. And to west, West mum came for gardening and making drug, and eating, so that, they are one of popular flower of Japanese now. About drug, Kanpouyaku for long living is made from some mums. And other some mums are medicinal herbs for stopping of bleeding and infection. Especially, Japanese gardening skills of mum are very wonderful. For example, shitate is skills of decide shape for good watching.

In Kochi, the best place to see them are The festival of “The Haruno town’s kiku” in November in Haruno Bunnkahole next to Pia stage of north of Haruno town’s public office. A lot of people come to this festival.