PlantFiles: Garland Chrysanthemum, Edible Chrysanthemum, Crown Daisy, Shungiku
Chrysanthemum coronarium

This is one of my favorite asian greens. Harvest young when the leaves are tender or it will get bitter. If you aren't expecting the minty flavor it can throw you. I pinch off the youngest leaves as they grow and can get plenty through July if the weather has not been too hot and dry. Treat it much as you would leaf spinach in cooking...it is great in stir fry and light soups if added at the last minute.

I grew Shungiku one year as an edible - but boy, was it nasty! :-) The leaves were extremely bitter and unpleasant tasting to me. (And I generally do love Asian greens.) It's possible that I harvested them at the wrong time or something though, as I had no idea what I was doing at the time.

However, even after I deemed the plant inedible, I kept it around for the flowers, which were quite pretty. Little, happy bright yellow. The plant grew over 3' tall for me, and was rather floppy and messy looking - best for a wildflower type of garden.

Edible Chrysanthemum is used in oriental cooking in Japan, China, and Vietnam. It is a leafy plant that grows well in cooler climates, but tends to go to flower in warmer climes. The leaves are finely cut, narrow in some varieties and wider in others. The foliage is silvery green with a strong flavor, so use sparingly. It can be used in stir-fry, steamed, sauteed, & soup. The flowers can be added to salads. Harvest the leaves when the plant is an older seedling.