Chrysanthemum named Cottage Apricot #1
by J McCombie
Title
Chrysanthemum named Cottage Apricot #1
Artist
J McCombie
Medium
Photograph - Untouched
Description
This piece has been featured in the FAA Group, "Beautiful Flowers ...".
More widely known as 'Apricot', this is one of the stellar performers in the fall garden where its seemingly artless open display of classically simple single flowers of peachy pink ray petals around a yellow eye belie a scrupulous attention to detailed presentation behind the veil of nonchalance.
Cottage Apricot' is an upright, bushy, clump-forming, woody-based herbaceous perennial but reaching a height of around 80cm. It has pinnate, dark green leaves and single, but full flowerheads which shade from bronze-flushed, salmon-peach to apricot-burnt orange ray florets surrounding a bright yellow eye in autumn. As the flower ages, the colour becomes stronger, being far more a coppery red than the apricot of its name. It has a rich heady honey scent.
Of all of the daisies, none has been so cultivated and bred as the Chrysanthemum. The name means literally ‘Golden Flower’ a reference to the colour of the first hybrids. These were created from Chrysanthemum vestitum (morifolium) and Chrysanthmum indicum and were produced in China where they are still held in particular esteem.
Chrysanthemums have been cultivated in China since at least 500BC. In 797 the Mikado (the ruler of Japan) adopted the Chrysanthemum as his emblem and the current Emeror sits on the ‘Chrysanthemum Throne’. The rising sun on the Japanese flag is actually a representation of the Chrysanthemum not the Sun. It wasn’t until the 18th century that Chrysanthemums mad their way to Europe.
Breeding has led to many classifications amongst this group, some being good garden plants, others the preserve of the Chrysanthemum enthusiast and the show bench.
Uploaded
June 28th, 2021
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