How to Make Chrysanthemum Tea

One of the reasons I got into tea is that I love herbs and all their properties, from the pigments to making ink to the healing herbal tisanes. Lately, I’ve been reading about how to steep flowers to make tea. And when it comes to health benefits, one popular go-to healing brews is chrysanthemum tea.

Yep, it turns out this brew with the beautiful floral aroma does more than just taste nice and smell good.

In this article I’ll share with you how to make chrysanthemum tea and some of it’s benefits.

Chrysanthemum Tea Benefits

A staple in Chinese medicine since way back in the Song Dynasty times, this ancient cup of goodness is a remedy for nearly everything.

From managing blood pressure and healing colds, to even treating lice (yes, really!), chrysanthemums have got your back.

So it seems wrong to talk about tea without mentioning the role it plays in China’s traditional healing practices.

Chinese medicine, chrysanthemum, or “Ju Hua,” is associated with the liver and lung meridians. It has sweet, bitter, pungent and “slightly cold” properties and can calm the liver, clear heat, dispel wind and release toxins.

“Chinese medicine categorizes herbs based on energetic properties rather than the chemical ingredients,” Dr. J.D. Yang, an expert in Chinese and integrative medicine, explains. “Chrysanthemum provides mildly cold energy. It has a special affinity to the energy channels that lead to the lungs, liver, spleen and kidneys.”

So far, it sounds pretty good! And it seems that, when it comes to the healing properties of this tea, science agrees.

A 2019 study researching pharmaceutical sciences found that there were five main health benefits of drinking chrysanthemum tea:

Anti-inflammatory properties

As we are discovering, inflammation underlies many chronic illnesses. Anything you can add to your diet that can reduce inflammation is a bonus for your long-term health.

Increases your immunity

This is thanks to the high levels of Vitamin C and A found in chrysanthemum tea.

Boosts bone strength

Due to naturally occurring minerals like calcium and magnesium, chrysanthemum tea is great for your bone health and it can help lower your risk of developing osteoporosis.

Can help to prevent chronic diseases

The study found that chrysanthemum tea “helps fight free radicals, prevents cellular mutations and protects the body against numerous illnesses” caused by free radicals. Um, yes, please and thanks!

Detoxing effects

Chrysanthemum tea is also excellent at detoxifying your liver and keeping cholesterol levels low.

Improves eyesight

Move over, carrots! It turns out chrysanthemums may also help to prevent cataracts, degeneration and even help with blurry vision.

But, wait – there’s even more…

WebMD points out that the tea is potassium rich, which helps to prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetes and the risk of stroke by supporting the function of your heart, kidneys and other organs.

Oh, and as chrysanthemum is a natural insecticide, you can douse your head in the tea to help keep head lice at bay.

Phew, that’s a LOT of health benefits!

But my absolute favourite use of chrysanthemum tea is as a sleep aid. In traditional Chinese medicine, insomniac issues can result from an overactive liver and from eating too many yang (hot) foods.

To remedy this, upping your yin and lowering your yang consumption is key.

Chrysanthemum tea helps clear excess yang energy (heat) in your liver and calms nerves, helping you to drift off and sleep better!

So, are you ready to get brewing? Scroll down for a super-simple recipe.

But first, a warning: Some people may experience side effects from chrysanthemum. If you are allergic to ragweed or daisies, or if you have ever reacted badly to concentrated chrysanthemum oil, avoid using this tea (as well as any other supplements that contain chrysanthemum). And, as always, check with your health practitioner if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

How To Make Chrysanthemum Tea

You’ve gotta love the simplicity of this herbal remedy. Just steep and drink!

Traditionally, once you are finished, you can add hot water again for another round (with a more subtle flavour), repeating to your heart’s desire.

Furthermore, you can make this tea yourself by drying chrysanthemum flowers in a sunny spot for several days. If you don’t have any plants on hand, don’t fret. You can buy dried blooms at Asian grocery stores and health food shops.

Ingredients

Dried chrysanthemum petals or flower buds (Tip: While the open flowers are gorgeous, the half-closed buds have more flavour)
Water
Sugar (or honey) for taste

Method

Combine all of the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Leave the tea to simmer for about 30 minutes for maximum infusion. ( you can get away with steeping the tea for 5 minutes. You’ll still get a delicious cup that’s chocked full of health benefits!)