Is the Chrysanthemum native to Japan?

star_gazer

Around the 8th century A.D., the chrysanthemum appeared in Japan. So taken were the Japanese with this flower that they adopted a single flowered chrysanthemum as the crest and official seal of the Emperor. The chrysanthemum in the crest is a 16-floret variety called "Ichimonjiginu." Family seals for prominent Japanese families also contain some type of chrysanthemum called a Kikumon - "Kiku" means chrysanthemum and "Mon" means crest. In Japan, the Imperial Order of the Chrysanthemum is the highest Order of Chivalry. Japan also has a National Chrysanthemum Day, which is called the Festival of Happiness. http://www.mums.org/journal/articles/chrysanthemum_history.htm May 01 12, 11:08 PM

Baloo55th

But where did it 'appear' from? Did it originate there or did someone bring it in? According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysanthemum "Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC" (and please note that I use quotation marks for text I have not written - this is standard practice in citing and shows respect for the author, and clarifies who is saying what). It goes on to say that "it is believed" that the chrysanth made its Japanese debut in the 8th century CE. With all cultivated plants, it gets hard to work out where they originated. To complicate matters, while Chrysanthemum pacificum is native to Japan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysanthemum_pacificum it bears little resemblance (for non-botanists) with the florists' plant that is referred to in the question and which is not native to Japan (and which is now back in the genus Chrysanthemum, having been in Dendranthema for several decades). Personal note: I prefer the single flowered varieties over the things that look as of cheerleaders should be waving them around. Same with dahlias and all other things where there are 'doubles'. May 02 12, 4:15 AM