Plants will ship Mid-March 🙂
Chrysanthemum, Chinese Bo-ju-hua (Chrysanthemum morifolium) plant in a 9 inch pot, organic
$21.00
Family: Aster (Asteraceae)
Hardy to Zones 5 to 10
(Autumn Chrysanthemum, Bo-ju-hua) Evergreen subshrub native to China, an ancient cultigen that cannot be propagated by seed. This is a choice cultivar, flowering to 3 feet tall and equally as wide, with single-petaled flowers of cream, between 1 and 2 inches in size. Flowering occurs in my Zone 7 garden in the fall. Main harvest occurs around Halloween (Oct 31). This cultivar flowers earlier than Gong-ju-hua. Taste sweet, considered to be a superior flower for making Chrysanthemum tea. Traditional uses (TCM): one of the Chinese herbs that releases the exterior, used in treating common cold, flu, fever and heatstroke; high blood pressure, heart pain, atherosclerosis; dizziness, hearing loss, tinnitus, headache and migraine; red and swollen eyes, blurry vision; liver inflammation and toxicity; infections including staphylococcus, streptococcus and blood spirochetes. Plant prefers sun and well-drained garden soil, frequent watering. Space plants 2 feet apart.
Potted plant in a 9-inch deep pot, Certified Organically Grown
Out of stock
Cecelia Miller (verified owner) –
Hello! I planted two of these plants in 2022 in a 4×4 raised bed. They are growing profusely. I have a question of if the plant benefits from pruning. They’re about 4 feet tall now and becoming somewhat leggy. Should I prune? If so, will that affect the blooming period, which typically comes in October for me? (I’m in Zone 8a). Thanks for any help. This is a star plant on my little farm in the fall!
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Richo Cech –
Hi Cecelia,
Thanks for writing, and for taking suh good care of the bo-ju-hua, they are glorious. If you prune now you won’t get many flowers. Prune back after flowering to 6-inches or so. You won’t hurt the plant and will have a more concise, mounded plant next year as a result. Find lots more info about these plants in “Growing Plant Medicine Vol 1.”
Richo
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Question
thistlepatchwellness –
I live in SE MN- zone 4-5 as the updated map is blended for my area. I really would like to get some of these plants for my garden. How would you recommend caring for them?- potted or in the ground? and best way to overwinter them so they survive? Thank You!
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Richo Cech –
Hello Thistlepatch, Thanks for contacting and for wanting to grow the Chinese Chrysanthemums. They are quite cold hardy and sturdy growers. You are a bit on the cold side for these. They are good in pots but pot culture can be futzy. They do like mulch and mulch helps with overwintering. You can check “Growing Plant Medicine” for the tortuga technique (rock circles filled with sand and compost). I’ve tested Ju-hua in the tortuga and it does extremely well there. The rocks absorb heat from the sun and assist in overwintering. Please order soon, these will sell out. Richo
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TamAnh –
Hello, I am in Zone 10a, can this be grown in 10a? Thank you!
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Richo Cech –
Hello TamAnh, Thanks for writing. Yes, if you click on the image you get the monograph which lists these all the way up to a zone 10 so, you’re in! All the best, richo
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Megan Olmstead (verified owner) –
So pleased to see these happy flowers in my garden while everybody else is going brown for winter. Shipped with care back in spring, and though it was small at first the plant has grown quickly.
The leggy bits who elongated over summer I layered back into the garden bed and they are rooting. I anticipate my mum patch to grow larger and brighten up a brown landscape on into the future
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Question
yenluu8 (verified owner) –
Hi Richo,
Is this Bu Ju Hua yellow or white color? I remember the Bu Jua hua plants I got from you the first time that is back a few years ago, the flowers were yellow and had a very fragrant smell. But they died, and I have been trying to grow them again and have bought several more times. I don’t know why I am not able to grow them. I just got two plants back in spring this year, but I am wondering what color of flowers they would have because the pictures on your website show that they are white and not yellow. I remember the plants that I got from you had yellow flowers and they smelled so good.
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Richo Cech –
helo yenluu, thanks for writing! i just went out and picked a flower of the Bo-ju-hua for reference. I can see a big bush of them right out the side window of my office. Anyway, they are fragrant, and despite what the picture might show (and pictures are not always real accurate on color) the central disk is bright yellow and the ray flowers are tinged in yellow. richo
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Jack (verified owner) –
Just received plant. It was very well packaged and looking very healthy. Also thanks for the quick responses. Highly recommend buying from this site. 10/10.
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Richo Cech –
hi jack, thanks and please enjoy your plant. the ju-hua are quite vigorous and easy. i personally have 2 of them in a raised bed in one of my demo gardens, overwintered and going strong. they make me happy. r
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Theresa (verified owner) –
Do you have seed for this plant?
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Richo Cech –
hi theresa, sorry, no, Chrysanthemum morifolium is a sterile cultigen, it doesn’t make seeds. richo
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Question
Uma –
What is the medicinal difference between Bo Ju Hua and Gong Ju Hua ? And Is one more yellow and one more white? Thanks!
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Richo Cech –
hello uma, the bo-ju-hua has bigger flowers with yellow centers and the gong is a white button by my recollection. the gallery photos are accurate to the plant. the bo-ju-hua is sweeter and the gong-ju-hua is more bitter. they are both used in TCM. r
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Theresa (verified owner) –
Will the gong-ju-hua have the same medicinal properties
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Richo Cech –
Hi Theresa, thanks for contacting. the medicinal properties are similar although the bo-ju-hua is more sweet, and the gong-ju-hua is more bitter. richo
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Casey (verified owner) –
I have one of these and will order another as soon as they’re back in stock. It’s wonderful to have something flowering in the garden when everything else is sleeping. It makes a beautiful addition to tea!
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Question
Dan (verified owner) –
Received your plants to Sacramento, potted up and they are doing well since May. Thank you! How do I take cuttings and propagate for more plants? Also at what point is the flower picked? Is it just dried or is there some additional processing?
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Richo Cech –
hi dan, the flowers are best picked at full maturity and promptly dried. they should be turned frequently and stored in glass. once your plants spread significantly from the crown you can just make lower stem cuttings of marginally rooted material with a couple of buds each and they will take. this plant can also be propagated from cuttings of the green stem but its trickier. r
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Question
Teresa Sundmark –
We got our chrysanthemum from you in the spring of this year, potted it to let it grow a bit and then put it in the ground. It’s beginning to shoot up new growth and seems to be doing well. We live in coastal Alaska where it can get down to around 10 degrees in the winter. Normally we have good snow cover. Any advice for tucking our chrysanthemum in for winter? Thanks in advance!
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Richo Cech –
Hi Teresa, coastal alaska must be pristine and lovely. i imagine you need a good parka for the winter. your chrysanthemum will want one, too, mounded up with straw that is. that should help it overwinter without smothering the new spring growth. r
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Teresa Sundmark –
Thank you! We’ll do that, and thank you for the advice. It’s much appreciated.
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Kimberly Wood (verified owner) –
Purchased this chrysanthemum early in spring for the May shipping. Bo Ju Hua is on the left. It was so tiny when it arrived, it was originally planted in a grey pot like the one the garten meister is in on the right of the photo, but when I had to move those plants under cover due to our second bout of 100+ temperatures, there were roots coming out the bottom!!! So I repotted them a size up, and was shocked at how pot bound they were! These guys survived shipping, the worst heat wave ever (118) and a second heat wave only being pulled under a deck roof for the worst days and you’d never know, unlike the sad fushia that lost most of its leaves to the heat. I don’t know if these plants will outgrow their current pots next year or not. I’d put them in the ground, but it’s a mud pie for months and I wouldn’t be able to shelter them in the event of terrible weather.
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Megan –
Thank you for the beautiful and healthy plant. I appreciated the instructions too. In one month the plant has grown three times its original size. Very happy.
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Richo Cech –
Hi Megan, That’s what we find, too. Plant our start up to a gallon pot and in a short time its 3 times bigger. Richo
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Judy –
Hi Richo,
When does it back again in-stock? Thanks.
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Richo Cech –
hi judy, we have these on an ongoing basis. please hit waitlist. richo
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Dr Sexauer (verified owner) –
I ordered both the Bo Ju Hua and the Gong Ju Hua. I transplanted them in a pot with an organic potting soil blend. Half my Bo Ju Hua’s wilted and died. Only two left. They are more scrawny than the Gong Jua Hua’s which appeared to thrive. However, I left them in the sun and rain (rainy season here now) alone for three weeks and they appear a little yellow in color and have not had much growth. Thoughts? Is the FL sun too much? Am I too close to the gulf? Are they getting too much water and need more fertilizer? I added an organic blend to the top soil tonight.
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Richo Cech –
Hello Dr Sexauer, Thanks for staying in touch. My thought is that the bo-ju-hua is not working for you and it may be best to concentrate on the gong-ju-hua which seems to be working. Potted culture in a hot and humid climate is not really what these need. They prefer a cool climate, plenty of water and will grow better if planted into the soil. Richo
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Dr Sexauer (verified owner) –
Hi Richo, thanks for the update. I wanted to report back that I had my first flowers from both the Bo and the Gong Ju Hua today, November 24th, Satasota FL. I moved the to a spot that gets sun only half the day. I think moving them into less sun and giving the extra fertilizer turned things around for us. The intense Florida summer heat and rain was too much. We are having a cold spell (ie 60-70F) for the last week or so and the plants have bloomed!
My first cup of tea was delicious. So nice to have them fresh.
Wondering if I should pinch back again after they are done blooming or just let them go. Also, should I not expect blooms again until next year or will they keep going given the weather should be moderate now until about April…
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Richo Cech –
hello sir, yes, once they finish blooming cut them back to the crown–they don’t need to hold all those extra leaves in the floriday heat!
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Question
Linh –
Do u have seeds of this one – Chrysanthemum
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Richo Cech –
Hello Linh, Thanks for contacting. Ju-hua is produced by cuttings only–the plant doesn’t make seeds. Richo
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Question
Kristin Leggett –
Hello 🙂 I was hoping you could possibly help with my question. I did a bit of research first but was curious to hear from you if you could possibly share any info on the difference between Bo-ju-hua and Gong-ju-hua?? My research mentioned the Bo being superior to the Gong. Have you discovered this in working with the two varieties of what I thought was only one???? Thank you!!
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Richo Cech –
Hi Kristen, Bo-ju-hua is official. The flowers of this cultivar make up the standard herb in TCM. Other cultivars are interesting in their own right. There’s a thorough go-through of the different cultivars and what to expect from them in my book “making plant medicine.” If you have an interest in Ju-hua, make sure to hit waitlist. We’re going to put up a large number more for sale before spring hits. richo
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First Harvest Bo-Ju-Hua (verified owner) –
Ours arrived early Spring. We put it in a huge pot on the Southern side of the house. Found it preferred early sun, not afternoon after seeing drooping in the heat. It flourished on the Southeast ern side of the house and my daughter and I just harvested a very good amount of tea blooms for it’s first Autumn! Very excited for next year as we learned a lot this year. Highly recommend!
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Karin –
Dear Richo – would the chrysanthemums and daisies be counter indicated for low blood pressure in TCM or traditional usage? I was told Chrysanthemum and goji berry tea is traditionally used to strengthen eyes, but want to educate myself about the blood pressure aspect.
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Richo Cech –
My feeling is that a tea of chrysanthemum and goji is well-tolerated by almost everyone. richo
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Ashley Quamme –
Hi Richo I’d like to plant near my lavender bush. Would these make good companions? Also, what is the average height or spread of this variety?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Ashley,
Thanks for contacting! The bo-ju-hua flowers to 3 feet and spreads equally as wide. Both Lavender and bo-ju-hua prefer full sun and a fast-draining soil, so it should be fine to have them near eachother. One difference is that I water my ju-hua more frequently than my lavenders. Richo
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Dr Sexauer –
Wondering about tips for growing this plant in Coastal west coast FL. It looks like I can’t get my plant until May. Assume I should keep it in a cooler part of the yard until fall but want to make sure it gets enough sun
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Richo Cech –
Hello! It is true, I believe at this point if you order a plant today it won’t ship until May. The plants will be sizing up from now until then so the waiting period is not really lost. Chrysanthemum does well on the coast and I rarely get a complaint about these–they are quite adaptable. Richo
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Haley Hall (verified owner) –
Hi! I want to plant the one I ordered in my community garden plot but I may be moving in the next couple years. Can I dig it up and take it with me? Or should I maybe put it in a half whiskey barrel planter?
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Richo Cech –
hello haley, these make a nice crown, you can probably plant it, let it grow on a bt, and take half with you and leave the rest for the community. you can plant it in the soil, it doesn’t need to be in a half barrel. r
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LCL (verified owner) –
Mine arrived in Zone 5 at the end of April, and spent the next couple weeks losing all 4 leaves it had arrived with. I had put it in a sunny spot with good drainage and watered when it didn’t rain so I didn’t know what was wrong. Not to fear! New leaves are now growing in, 1 month after arrival. Looks like it will be just fine, excited for tea in the fall.
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Richo Cech –
thank you for taking care of this plant. they are incredibly robust that way, everyone take note on what can be accomplished with a little TLC.
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Isaiah (verified owner) –
Brought a plant of this earlier this year and I am blown away! The growth was vigorous, the flowers abundant and beautiful, and shes tonka tough. No pest or disease problems at all. Thinking of growing more of these and selling the tea to local cafes next year 🙂 Hopefully, she can survive the winters here in the Hudson Valley. Thank you so much
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