Mums (Chrysanthemum indicum) – Air purifying plants

Mums (Chrysanthemum indicum) is an ornamental perennial, aromatic herb plant. It grows up to 25 cm to 100 cm tall. The stems are erect or spreading, branched, sparsely hairy. The lower leaves wither at anthesis and the middle stem leaves are carried on stalks 1-2 cm, leaf blade ovate or elliptic-ovate in outline, both surfaces pale green or olive, sparsely velvet-hairy, pinnately cut or lobed, base flat, broadly wedge-shaped. It is in flower from August to October. They typically have yellow or white blossoms with yellow pollen. It is a NASA approved house plant for reducing air pollution.

Scientific classification:

Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Chrysanthemum
Species: C. indicum

Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum indicum L.
Synonyms: Achillea bandana Buch.-Ham, Achillea berdana Buch.-Ham. ex DC, Arctotis elegans Thunb, Bidens bardanna Wall, Bidens marginata DC.
Common Names: Mums, Indian Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum, Hindi: चंद्रमल्लिका Chandramallika, Kannada: Shavantige, Shyavantige, Manipuri: Chandramukhi, Marathi: Shevati, Nepali: गोदावरी Godaavari, Sanskrit: बाहुपत्रिका Bahupatrika, भ्र्र्ङ्गवल्लभ Bhringavallabha, Bringheshta, चारुकेसर Charukesara, Tamil: சாமந்தி Saamandi, ஜவந்தி Javandi, Telugu: Chamunti.

How to care and grow Mums (Chrysanthemum indicum):

Light

It grows best in full early sun, at least 5-6 hours daily. Plants grown with less light will become weak, spindly, and produce few flowers.

Soil

It will grow in humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil but will grow in a wide range of soils.

Temperature

Cool temperatures enable the blooms on a Mums to last longer and high temperatures cause the blooms to quickly fade. 70°F during the day and not below 60°F at night are best for a Chrysanthemum. It can handle temperatures down to -10 °C (14 °F).

Water

Water your plant regularly during the growing season and always keep the soil evenly moist but never allow your plant to sit in water. You can allow the topsoil to become slightly dry between each watering. During the winter months, reduce watering.

Fertilizer

Apply a standard liquid plant fertilizer once a month during the spring and summer growing season. Stop fertilizing once flower buds have formed.

Propagation

It can be easily propagated by seeds or by cuttings or division. sow seeds directly on the ground in spring and cuttings are taken in the summer. Division in spring.

Pests and Diseases

There is no serious pest or disease problems. But susceptible to leaf and stem miners, chrysanthemum eelworm, aphids, caterpillars, worms affect the mums. Diseases like gray mold, powdery mildew, and root rot infect it.

Benefits of Mums (Chrysanthemum indicum)

• The entire plant is antiphlogistic, blood tonic, depurative, febrifuge, and vulnerary.
• The flower heads are pickled in vinegar. An aromatic tea is made from the leaves.
• The blossoms are aperient, bitter, hypotensive, stomachic, and vasodilator.
• It is utilized for dissipating heat, detoxifying, and dissipating blood stasis. It is used in China to treat eye ailments. In conjunction with black pepper, it is used in the treatment of gonorrhea.
• The leaves are depurative. They are used in China in the treatment of migraine.
• The blossoms are utilized in the treatment of furuncle, scrofula, deep-rooted boils, inflammation of the throat, eyes, and cervix, eczema, itchiness of the skin, and hypertension. They have a rejuvenating effect when used over a long period of time.
• They have an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus, E. Coli, streptococcus, C. Diphtheriae, Bacillus
  dysenteriae.