Shungiku, Heirloom Seeds

Shungiku, Heirloom Seeds — The Three-Color Daisy Green for Salads, Stir-Fries, and Microgreens

Shungiku — also known as Three-Color Daisy, Garland Chrysanthemum, and Edible Chrysanthemum — is a beloved staple of Cantonese, Hong Kong, and Taiwanese cooking, and one of the most versatile greens you can grow. This fine-leaf strain produces light green, serrated leaves with a slightly crunchy texture and a strong, complex flavor: carrot, fruit, and flowers with a mild but pleasant bitterness. Use in stir-fries, stews, casseroles, hotpots, and soups; add to Taiwanese oyster omelets; or grow as a microgreen for a fast, flavorful harvest. Edible small orange and yellow chrysanthemum flowers appear on unharvested plants — beautiful as a garnish or dried for tea.

Why Grow Shungiku?

• Complex carrot-fruit-floral flavor — unlike any other salad green
• Versatile in Asian cuisines — stir-fries, hotpots, soups, and oyster omelets
• Outstanding microgreen — thin serrated leaves with strong, complex flavor
• Edible orange and yellow flowers — beautiful garnish or dried for tea
• Winter and spring performer — thrives in cool weather
• Open-pollinated heirloom — save seed year after year

Growing Notes

Direct sow outdoors in early spring or fall in full sun to part shade. Sow seeds ¼ inch deep, 2–3 inches apart. Thin to 6 inches. Keep soil consistently moist. Harvest leaves at 4–8 inches tall for best flavor. Cut-and-come-again for extended production. Allow some plants to flower for edible blooms and seed saving.

Days to maturity: 30–45 days
Packet size: 100+ seeds
Type: Heirloom, Open-Pollinated, Annual
Spacing: 6 plants per sq ft
Sun: Full sun to part shade
USDA Zones: All U.S. zones