Chrysanthemum

Bloom time: Summer to autumn.

Chrysanthemums are perennial flowering members of the aster family (Asteraceae), and the name broadly includes white-flowering varieties like the Shasta Daisy. Technically, the white-flowering types are of the genus Leucanthemum, but they are botanically similar enough to be grouped together here. Chrysanthemums were first cultivated as a flowering plant in China as far back as the 15th century BC. The leaves and flowers have long been used as medicinal tea, and some varieties, such as Edible Chrysanthemum and Garland Chrysanthemum, are grown specifically for their tasty leaves, rather than as flowers. Long-lasting Chrysanthemum plants gradually form clumps over the years, and these can be divided and transplanted in the fall.