Herb. No. 241 · Asteraceae
Mediterranean daisy adopted as an East Asian pot herb.
Native · Mediterranean
Garland chrysanthemum
Glebionis coronaria
Garden flowersKitchenFlowersHarvest
The edible chrysanthemum of East Asian pots — leaf first, yellow daisy second, a cool-season green that is not a florist mum.
Garland chrysanthemum (shungiku, tong ho) is grown as a pot herb. The leaf is the crop: aromatic, slightly bitter, excellent in sukiyaki and hot pot. The yellow daisy is edible and a late bonus. Florist chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum × morifolium) are a different, often-sprayed plant; Chinese ju hua tea is a named, food-grade flower, not a grocery bouquet. This plate is the vegetable.
Flavor
Green, camphor-adjacent, a clean bitterness that butter and broth like.
Parts used
Young leaf · Shoot · Flower
Helpful
- Fast cool-season leaf
- Flower is a second crop
- Bolts later than spinach in a mild spring
Cautions
- Bitter if old or heat-stressed
- Florist mums are not this plate
- Aphids find it