Centuries ago in China, the beautiful chrysanthemum flowering plants were first cultivated. Its captivating appearance makes it a frequent subject of East Asian paintings, symbolizing long life, luck, and royalty in Vietnam and Japan. Beyond their exquisite shape, vibrant colors, and alluring scent, chrysanthemums also remain purposeful for their ornamental and therapeutic properties, along with their culinary and cultural applications.
Captivating cultivar
“Chrysanthemums are my favorite flowers,” says Dr. Trinh Don Nguyen, a biochemist and researcher from the University of British Columbia. This perennial herbaceous plant’s most striking elements are its intricate floral arrangement, compact clusters of petals, and distinct colors. With 40 species and multitudinous cultivars, the biochemist notes that producing certain characteristics observed in chrysanthemum species requires varying growth conditions.
“The best time to grow chrysanthemums is [in] late September and early October, [as] it is neither too hot nor too cold, and the amount of daylight and humidity [is] also moderate,” Nguyen explains. The biochemist recommends well-drained soil with added compost layers for growing plants and cites seed propagation and plant tissue culture as common methods for producing chrysanthemum varieties, offering a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes.
Despite the myriad traits of chrysanthemum species, one thing they have in common is their composite structure. The flower hails from the second-largest flowering plant family, the Asteraceae family, explaining its one-meter upright form.
Nguyen singles out Chrysanthemum morifolium, also known as florist’s daisy, for its complex clusters of tongue-shaped ray florets that bloom outward from the flower head. He clarifies that different varieties can have different flower shapes, notably pompon mums, spider mums, and button mums, whose names reflect the shape and size of the florets. Florist’s daisies are also known for their rich variety of floral colors, including purple, pink, yellow, and white.
A chemical spectrum
Chrysanthemums secrete specialized metabolites, namely anthocyanins and carotenoids, which yield a broad spectrum of colorful pigments in the flower. Anthocyanin contributes to the pink and red colors, while carotenoids produce the yellow and green colors of the flower. Identifying the compounds present in the flower makes it possible to alter them and produce other petal pigments. However, “it is important to note that members of the anthocyanins, carotenoids, and other terpenoid groups occur in all plants but with different structures and functions,” Nguyen emphasizes.
Similarly, the scent observed in chrysanthemums can be attributed to specialized metabolites emitted by the flower tissues, such as monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids. Their “herby, earthy, and musty” aroma can attract pollinators and ward off harmful insects and animals.
Into the particulates
Coined as the “sage of medicine” in a 2000-year-old Chinese book about medicinal plants, chrysanthemums have long been recognized for their medicinal properties. As the book strongly influenced traditional pharmacopeias in the regions of Asia and Europe, chrysanthemums are no strangers to healthcare.
First brewed as an herbal tea, Nguyen specifically cites florist’s daisies for having antimicrobial, anti-tumor, and anti-aging effects. To boost their therapeutic potential, they are also believed to promote calmness, hair growth, and skin regeneration.
These medicinal effects are primarily attributed to their phytochemical profiles—a collective identification of chemicals they produce. A class of phytochemicals called secondary metabolites is either created or consumed during natural plant processes like photosynthesis, protecting plants from damage while also yielding compounds with potential medicinal value for humans.
One metabolite predominantly present and investigated in chrysanthemums is flavonoids, which are commonly associated with anti-oxidative, anti-aging, and similar effects. However, Nguyen gently warns that “there are limited clinical studies to support or refute the therapeutic properties of chrysanthemums.”
A gentle warning
Despite the chrysanthemum’s promising chemical profile, they carry both beneficial and unwanted effects—a reality for both traditional and modern medicine. “Any plant tissue has hundreds of chemicals besides the few compounds we would like to benefit from,” Nguyen posits. A complex addition to the picture involves potential contamination from the surrounding environments of the plants, especially when they are carelessly handled.
The biochemist acknowledges that efficacy and safety must be considered when using medicinal plants. “All parts of a chrysanthemum can be toxic,” Nguyen explains. “An example of [a] natural toxic chemical in chrysanthemums is pyrethrin, which is an effective insecticide and [is] toxic to humans and our pets.”
Administration routes, such as tinctures, creams, and lotions for skin inflammation and lesions may cause irritation. Fortunately, most of these compounds degrade during cooking which renders less toxicity to humans when consumed. As a result, side effects such as dizziness and nausea are less severe or almost non-existent through popular administration routes like chrysanthemum teas.
Still, Nguyen reiterates the need for clinical trials to better understand the effects of chrysanthemums. “Most of the health effects we know of are from ethnobotanical studies or ancient texts,” he hints, raising the need for specifying the active chemical compounds in chrysanthemums.
Heeding active compounds like artemisinin—a compound from sweet wormwood that is used as an antimalarial drug—the biochemist advocates for a deeper understanding of plants’ roles in drug development. “This will be a major part of [a] sustainable drug manufacturing future,” he finishes.
Traditions and transitions
As traditional plants like chrysanthemums undergo further research and isolation of their active compounds for drug development, Nguyen offers a friendly reminder: “We cannot simply consider [plants] as divine medicines with natural and [holistic] goodness.” However, acknowledging that this—combined with the modernization of technology—opens opportunities to enhance and replicate the mechanisms of these plants.
These efforts could combat the accessibility of complex and conventionally synthesized phytochemicals in drugs. While such promises are still in the works, the biochemist asserts, “Modern chemistry, biology, pharmacology, and clinical trials can and should work together to examine [these] herbal medicines.”
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s March 2025 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSMarch2025.
