From the Roots Up: Mums – more than a pretty fall flower

BY SUSAN LANE

             You know fall is here when the garden centers are all aglow in bright yellow floral potted plants. Yes, its mum time in the Ozarks! Mum is short for chrysanthemum; I did not know that until last year. But in my defense, I have been a food growing, vegetable gardener so flowers have not been of much interest to me.

Now my family is raised. I am not as concerned with food production and feeding a hungry family so I have branched out to herbs and flowers in my gardening. It’s all continual learning for me. I will be planting my first mum this year. And as is typical for me, I began to wonder if this plant had any food value or medicinal value. I mean pretty is nice, being a pollinator is nice, but my little brain always asks “what else is it good for” when I think about planting something new. I will share what I learned thru research about this plant. 

             There are two types of mums. One is food grade; the other is ornamental or floral mums. How they are grown is the difference. Ornamental or food grade mums are systematically sprayed with chemicals and fertilizers that would make them unsafe to eat. Do not use these for culinary purposes! These are the mums found in Walmart or Lowes. 

Food grade mums can be purchased at specialty garden stores like Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in Mansfield, Mo (Rareseeds.com on the internet) or Sugar Creek Gardens out of St. Louis. Online stores include Migardener and Etsy Specialty Growers.

             The flowers of the food grade mum plant can be harvested and made into a medicinal tea. Fresh or dried flower buds can be used. Pluck about three to five whole fresh flower heads per 8-ounce cup, gently submerge in cool water to rinse, removing any dust or little bugs that would be on the flower head. Place in your cup, pour boiling water over them and allow to steep for three to five minutes. The water will turn pale yellow and release a floral aroma. Strain the flowers out and sweeten the tea with a little honey. If using dried flowers use one to two tablespoons per cup. 

     The flowers of the mum are high in vitamin A, the B vitamins, vitamin C and Vitamin K. They are also good sources of minerals including potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc. Adding a cup of this tea to your diet can help with lowering blood pressure, can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. It can be used to help recover from a hangover from drinking too much alcohol and can be a natural alternative for treating head lice when applied topically. Use caution, ask your doctor before drinking this tea if you are on prescription medication, and do your own research according to your health issues. Special caution if you are on blood thinners. 

    In my mind, it’s just as easy to have edible, medicinal plants growing in my garden as it is to have purely ornamental ones. So, this year, when I plant a mum, I will contact the specialty stores and look for one that I can use for tea.