Garland chrysanthemum

Glebionis coronaria

Asteraceae

The edible chrysanthemum of East Asian pots — leaf first, yellow daisy second, a cool-season green that is not a florist mum.

Shungiku / chop suey green — an edible chrysanthemum. Florist mums are often sprayed; do not eat unnamed florist bunches.

Parts used: Young leaf · Shoot · Flower
Traditional notes: Hot pot green · Tempura · Edible daisy
Grow · USDA 6b: Cool-season annual. Frost-tolerant when young. Direct-sow in early spring and again in late summer. Succession every two weeks. In work: Mar · Apr · May · Sep · Oct
Harvest: Cut-and-come-again when 6 inches. Do not wait for a woody stem.

A second sowing in August is the better crop in zone 6b.
If it flowers, eat the daisy and sow again.

Safety

Do not eat sprayed florist chrysanthemums

Lore

The Japanese name shungiku is spring chrysanthemum. The Chinese name tong hao is the same plant in a different pot. Ju hua tea is usually a different chrysanthemum, dried as a flower, not this leafy green — two plates that share a family and confuse grocers.

The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.