White Chrysanthemum: A Natural Remedy for Eyesight and Liver Health

The Chrysanthemum morifolium, commonly known as the white chrysanthemum, is renowned for its fragrant, refreshing scent. It has a slightly bitter, spicy, sweet taste and is known to have a cooling effect. It is particularly beneficial for the lungs and the liver.

In the market, chrysanthemums are available in two colors, yellow and white. Yellow chrysanthemums are ideal for dispelling wind-heat and can prevent wind-heat colds.

The white chrysanthemum, on the other hand, is beneficial for calming the liver and improving eyesight, and can be used to alleviate symptoms such as headaches and vertigo. In addition to their medicinal properties, fresh white chrysanthemums symbolize mourning, sincerity, and commitment.

They are often used to express feelings of mourning for the deceased, and are particularly appropriate to present during the Qingming Festival. The pure, clean color of the white chrysanthemum represents noble and courageous character traits.

White Chrysanthemum Description

The white chrysanthemum is a perennial herb, reaching heights of 60-150 cm. It has an upright stem, which may or may not branch, and is covered in soft hairs. Its leaves are ovate to lanceolate, measuring 5-15 cm, and are either shallowly pinnate or semi-pinnate, with short petioles.

The lower surface of the leaves is covered in white, soft hairs. The flower heads of the chrysanthemum have variable diameters, ranging from 2.5-20 cm. The involucral bracts are multilayered, with the outer layers being covered in soft hairs.

Benefits of White Chrysanthemum

The white chrysanthemum has various health benefits, including the ability to dispel wind-heat, calm the liver, improve eyesight, and detoxify the body. It is primarily used to treat wind-heat colds, fever, headache, red and blurry eyes, liver and kidney deficiency, dark and blurry vision, and vertigo.

It is important to note that the use of this herbal medicine should be based on symptom differentiation and should be directed by a professional in traditional Chinese medicine.

It is not advisable to self-medicate, and one should not blindly believe in traditional Chinese medical recipes and advertising propaganda.

White Chrysanthemum Health Recipes

Cooling and Eye-brightening Tea

Ingredients: 10 g of white chrysanthemum, 10 g of cassia seed, 10 g of locust flower.

Instructions: Put all the ingredients into a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, boil on high heat and let it cool before drinking.

White Chrysanthemum and Pig Liver Soup

Ingredients: 10 g of white chrysanthemum, 10 g of cistanche, 10 g of cassia seed, 60 g of pig liver, appropriate amounts of salt and MSG.

Instructions:

1. Wrap the white chrysanthemum, cistanche, and cassia seed in cheesecloth, and put them in a casserole with the cleaned pig liver.
2. Add an appropriate amount of water to the pot, simmer for half an hour, then remove the liver, slice it, and season with salt and MSG.

Chrysanthemum Porridge

Ingredients: Appropriate amount of chrysanthemum, 100 g of japonica rice.

Instructions:

1. Dry the white chrysanthemum and grind it into a powder.
2. Cook the japonica rice into porridge. When the porridge is nearly done, add 10-15 g of chrysanthemum powder and bring it to a boil.

Chrysanthemum and Cassia Seed Porridge

Ingredients: 10 g of white chrysanthemum petals, 15 g of cassia seeds, 100 g of japonica rice, appropriate amount of rock sugar.

Instructions:

1. Fry the cassia seeds until they are slightly fragrant, then put them in a casserole with the cleaned white chrysanthemum petals.
2. Add an appropriate amount of water, simmer until the water is halved, remove the residue and keep the juice. Add the clean japonica rice, additional water, and rock sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer until it becomes a thin porridge.

White Chrysanthemum Planting Guide

White chrysanthemums thrive in warm, dry conditions with abundant sunlight. They are not frost-tolerant, but can withstand semi-shade and drought. They are sensitive to waterlogging and strong sunlight exposure. They have a dormant period in the summer.

Adequate sunlight exposure will result in more vibrant leaf color and a more compact and aesthetic plant shape. Insufficient sunlight will result in lighter leaf color, loose leaf arrangement, and elongation. The white chrysanthemum is a small plant.

Depending on its growth conditions, it can be repotted every two to four years. The pot diameter should be just slightly larger than the plant diameter to promote plant growth.