September 28 2006

Text By Greg Fallis

In Greek it is the golden flower, chrysos anthemon. In Nipponese, kiku. In Chinese, chu hua. In all languages, in all nations, the autumnal chrysanth holds a particularly melancholy place in the calculus of flowers. The pleasure they bring is not the welcoming joy we experience with the bright blossoms of Spring; rather chrysanthemums are a sort of lament, a warm but unresisting acknowledgment that the days are growing short. The chrysanthemum of the Fall is a flower of farewell. It is no accident that in many cultures, the mum is used primarily as a decoration for graves.

It is, of course, an ancient flower...cultivated for more than 2500 years. In the orderly unfolding of its many petals, the ancients saw the epitome of natural perfection. The flower has graced the flags and war banners of powerful nations and it has decorated the gowns of prom queens. Steeped in boiling water, the flower has provided a medicinal tea; placed in the bottom of a glass of wine, it was thought to bring long life. Cities have been named after it, it is the most widely grown flower in the world, and yet the lowly 'mum' is sometimes derided as the dullest of flowers.

But if you want to truly understand why the world has been so captivated by this flower for so many centuries, all you really need to do is look at it. Look at it.