Matsumoto


1 entry found.
Picture of Matsumoto Matsumoto
Common Name: China Aster, Matsumoto, Rainbow Aster, Aster
Botanical Name: Callistephus chinensis (ka-LIS-te-fus chin-EN-sis)
Decorative Life: 6-10 days.
Post Harvest Care:
  • Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a hydration solution as the sugar in flower food solutions can damage the foliage.
Harvest Instructions: Harvest when flowers are fully open.
Family Roots:
  • Member of the Asteraceae or Compositae (aster or sunflower family).
  • Native to China.
  • Related species include sunflower, daisy, gerbera, chrysanthemum.
Personality:
  • Flowers single, semi-double or double with heads 2-4 inches across (5-10 cm), with bright, coarse textured petals surrounding a light center.
  • Stems leafy, 8-15 inches (20-38 cm) in length.
  • Plant is an annual, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined.
  • Flowers are not fragrant.
Availability: Nearly year-round.
Flower Color: White, yellow, pink, red, blue, purple.
Storage Specifics: 32-38F.
Tidbits:
  • The botanical name means "beautiful crown" in Greek and refers to the showy, solitary flower heads. Also said to be the character of the developing fruit.
  • In some of the more showy cultivars, the inner disk flowers are replaced by ray flowers resulting in a doubled flower appearance.
  • The Compositae or aster family is vast, with over 20,000 species, and is also one of the most developed families. It was named Compositae because the flowers are actually a "composite" of many individual flowers into one head. Hence, when children pull one "petal" off at a time, saying "she/he loves me, loves me not", they are actually removing a complete flower, not just a petal.
  • Leaves often wilt before flowers. Keep solution clean.
  • Flowers should be harvested when they are fully open.