Chrysanthemum indicum Herbstbrokat

Chrysanthemum x indicum Herbstbrokat, better known as Garden Chrysanthemum, is a true hymn to autumn. This ancient variety, selected in Germany in 1920, still captivates with its small pompom flowers in the colors of dawn, celebrating autumn in all its beauty. It is not a very tall variety, but it is bushy and very floriferous, hardy and capable of living for many years in the garden. Extremely romantic, this lovely perennial defies the first frosts by throwing handfuls of flowers into the beds.

The Garden Chrysanthemum Herbstbrokat belongs to the Asteraceae family and is a cousin of daisies and sunflowers. It is a cultivar derived from Chrysanthemum indicum, a plant native to East Asia, cultivated since antiquity in China, Japan, and Korea, which is the origin of florist chrysanthemums.

This variety Herbstbrokat quickly forms a clump of woody, leafy, and branching stems, about 60cm (24in) tall and 50cm (20in) wide. Flowering occurs from September to early November depending on the climate and lasts for several weeks. The plant is covered with numerous double daisy-like flowers, initially salmon pink tinged with soft red, lightening as they open. The central disk is yellow when it opens, then it turns bronze. The overall effect is a bouquet of pale orange and light salmon flowers with a touch of pink-red and bronze in the centre. The flowers are actually 3-4cm (1-2in) diameter heads, gathered in clusters called corymbs at the ends of the branched stems. The leaves are borne on a petiole 1-2cm (1in) long. The lamina is ovate to elliptical, measuring 3-7cm (1-3in) in length and 4cm (2in) in width, pubescent (downy), pinnate, more or less lobed, with a truncate base. The root system of this plant is a shallow rhizome. Its above-ground growth dries up in winter and regrows in spring.  

Garden chrysanthemums offer immense worth during a time of year when flowers are less abundant, and blend remarkably well with autumn colours. They can be combined with asters in complementary colours. Their flowering will be lightened by cosmos, Japanese anemones, gauras, shrubby salvias, magellan fuchsias, and Cape lilies. They are particularly interesting when combined with grasses: Carex, Stipa, and Pennisetum. Chrysanthemums also make excellent cut flowers, very long-lasting in a vase.

The aerial parts of Chrysanthemum indicum (flowers, leaves, and stems) are part of the Chinese pharmacopoeia. They are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of dizziness, symptoms of hypertension, and several infectious diseases.