菊 · jú
菊 · jú
Character · Stillness
What it means
Chrysanthemum — the flower of autumn, of retirement, and of a certain unapologetic lateness.
菊：秋花、隐逸，以及一种不加辩解的晚开。
Where the character comes from
Tao Yuanming gave up office to farm and was buried among the chrysanthemums he would not stop writing about. That is the whole of its reputation: a flower that means you have chosen not to advance, and are not embarrassed about it.
From 艹 (plant) and 匊 (hooked); the character is the plant, not the flower form.
- Literary noteTao Yuanming
- Official historyShuowen Jiezi艸部
How it gets misread
莲 (lotus) → 菊 (chrysanthemum)
Both are high-brow flowers. Lotus grows on the water; chrysanthemum grows on land in autumn and has hooked, narrow petals.
Before you ink
Layered petals on a hooked stem, drawn fine. It is the most detailed of the Four Gentlemen and the easiest to over-ink.
Chrysanthemum is a funeral flower in parts of Europe, which can travel badly with the design. Nothing is wrong with the flower; it is a cultural association that is imported, not Chinese.