Other than for brewing tastefully sweet tea, chrysanthemum also has a big reputation off the coffee table.
Being a symbol of nobility and integrity, it is often regarded as one of the four gentlemen of flowers which include the orchid, plum blossom and bamboo.
Those are some honorable company of plants to be associated with.
It is also often used as the flower to represent autumn and is also associated with the ninth month of the lunar calendar. One can tell the season of Chinese paintings when chrysanthemums can be observed in the background.
Households were often decorated with the flower during autumn. And it was seen as a fun activity to welcome the the symbolism into the house.
Chrysanthemum flower (菊花) pronounced as Ju Hua. With Ju sounding somewhat similar to Jiu (九) which means the number 9.
Thus it is no coincidence that there is a long held belief that chrysanthemum pick on the ninth day of the ninth month would always be the best quality harvest.
From a health perspective, chrysanthemum tea is known to be a great remedy to remove heat from the body, contain anti-aging properties, and has a calming effect on the liver.
And even though the scented flower is commonly depicted as yellow, it actually comes in a wide variety of natural colors including:
- Pink
- White
- Orange
- Purple
- Red
- etc
So don’t just assume that it only exist in one color.
Kitchenware are also often designed to shape like the petals of the flower.
Legends of the chrysanthemum
Famous Chinese poets actually described the chrysanthemum positively in their work. All calling on it’s positive attributes.
In some parts of China, a grasshopper resting on chrysanthemum expresses the promotion to a high ranking government official. The same meaning is observed when the plant with paired with cicada.
When the yellow flower is depicted with nine quails, it represents a wish for a multi-generational family living to live under the same roof.
While partnered with the plum blossom, it represents a life of ease with little hardship.
Depicted with maple leaves, it is a representation of autumn and the positive attributes that come with the season, including abundance.
Paired with bamboo, it symbolizes humility and contentment with the simple things in life.
In artwork, the chrysanthemum flowers are often found depicted with pine trees to double down on the symbolic presence of longevity. This is because they are both strong-willed that are above to survive through harsh circumstances.
The same can be said when accompanied by deers.
The legend behind the longevity attribute of chrysanthemums is that a hill at a small village in Henan was filled with wild blooming chrysanthemum flowers. Spring arrived and the petals of the striking flower were carried away by spring water. With the fragrant aroma of the water being ever so delightful, the villagers consumed them every year. Many of the villagers then lived way past a hundred years old.
A particular auspicious painting for longevity portrays the flower together with a longevity stone, a cat and butterfly.
When painted with yellow sparrows, the painting represents happiness and joy for the whole family. And with magpies, it means being blessed with happiness.
Together with plum and narcissus, it is an arrangement called the 3 hermits.
Then there was the famous poet by the name of Tao Yuan Ming who wrote an infamous phrase in a poem describing “picking chrysanthemums at the eastern fence, I behold the southern mountain”.
Chrysanthemum in feng shui
Chrysanthemums signify longevity not just in health, but in happiness, love and harmony as well.
In fact, anything with a desire for long-lasting durability can be enhanced by the symbolic representation of the chrysanthemum.
This means that application of the placement of chrysanthemums can be applied with reference to the trigrams or with 8 mansions feng shui.
As each trigram can represent a particular member within a family, the golden yellow flowered plant can be placed in the home sectors that represents certain individual to call on longevity.
When in doubt, the best directional area to place them will be the northwest where the Chien trigram is or the southwest where the Kun trigram resides.
In 8 mansions feng shui, paintings or real chrysanthemum flowers can be placed in either the Yen Nien or Tien Yi sectors.
For living spaces, avoid those in color of white, pink and purple.
