Botanical Name: Chrysanthemum morifolium
Common Name: Hardy garden mum
Last year around Diwali, we bought few
plants of Shevanti (Hardy garden mum) from a local nursery in Alibag. There are
supposed to be lots of colors available in Shevanti – yellow, red/orange,
white, pink, lavender and many more shades in between. But the nursery just had
bright yellow and red/orange ones. Still couldn’t resist buying them. This year
they have started to bloom and are looking very picturesque.
Shevanti is a cultivated herbaceous
plant, very common in Maharashtra. Mostly white, yellow and red/orange
varieties are cultivated commercially and are in large demand during festive
seasons.
You can start a new plant by propagating
cuttings in early spring, that is around Holi festival in India. In early
summer, plants are pinched to make them more bushy. Shevanti plant needs full
sun, but can tolerate partial shade.
Medicinal Use:
I am always curious about
medicinal uses of plants. Not sure if Shevanti is used for medicinal purpose in
India, but if anyone is aware of any medicinal use, please do let me know.
