Shevanti (Hardy Garden Mum)

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.