Chrysanthemum Meaning

Chrysanthemums have a general meaning of rest and cheerfulness. 

They’re also nice flowers to give to your friend if you want to tell them what a wonderful friend they’ve been to you.  Depending on the color of the chrysanthemums, it can give off quite a different meaning: from good luck and best wishes - to love, truth and also slighted love.

In some parts of the world like Italy, chrysanthemums are associated with the dead.  This flower is then only acceptable when there’s a funeral going on.  Otherwise, it shouldn’t be given to friends and loved ones at all.

• Name:  Chrysanthemum
• Color:  Chrysanthemums are flowers that have many different lively colors.  They can come in different hues like red, blue, purple, white, green, pink and orange flowers among others.  You might be surprised to hear that there are even black chrysanthemums.
• Shape:  Chrysanthemums have a wide variety of shapes.  It all depends on how the petals are arranged.  The most popular ones are shaped like a button of petals or a disk shape.  With long as well as broad petals, it would be hard for you to see the center of these flowers.
• Fact:  The word, chrysanthemum comes from the Greek words, chrysos and anthemom.  These mean gold and flower respectively. So basically, chrysanthemum means a golden flower.
• Poisonous:  Chrysanthemums are plants with poisonous parts.  There’s a moderate toxicity level for the stems and the leaves of this plant but the flowers are generally harmless.
• Number of Petals:  Many.  This would depend on the shape of the chrysanthemum.  With the puffiest looking of blossoms, you can bet that that would have more petals on it than a flower where you can see the center.
• Victorian Interpretation:  Chrysanthemums are beautiful flowers.  Giving them it to someone means that you’re sending a message that you think he or she is a wonderful friend.  It also pertains to cheerfulness as well as rest.
• Blossom Time:  As early as February, chrysanthemums can have beautiful flowers blooming from their stems.  These are hardy plants and it’s based on the amount of light that they get.  If they have just the right amount of sunlight, they’ll bloom nicely in September.
• Superstitions:  Chrysanthemums have more of an oriental origin where people in the nobility have been planting them for years.  Because this flower is favored by the rich and noble in China, other people, common people were prohibited from growing this plant.  As time passed, however, view about the chrysanthemums changed and it became part of Feng Shui.  Having chrysanthemums in your home means happiness.
• The Shape:  The chrysanthemum with a decorative shape has so many petals on it - and in which case the center is hardly seen. For pompon shaped chrysanthemums, these flowers have double blooms but are small and they take on a globular shape.  If the chrysanthemum is an anemone shape, it means that the disk florets are easily seen.  They’re raised and even overshadow the ray florets.  Chrysanthemums can also have a spider shape.  This is when you cannot see the disk florets at all.  In contrast, the ray florets look like hooked tubes.
• Petals:  Chrysanthemums can have a few petals to a great number of them.  They can be long and broad that they cover almost every part of the flower itself. At the same time, they can also be hooked and curled.
• Numerology:  These flowers are a 6 in numerology.  This means community and balance.
• Color:  Chrysanthemums are virtually available in any color that you might think of.  Some can even have a combination of lighter colors and darker ones.  But always keep in mind that for every color, there’s a different meaning to the flower.

Herbalism and Medicine:  

In medicine, chrysanthemums are used for their antibacterial qualities as well as anti-mycotic qualities.