Our answer
A flower infusion, not tea 菊花茶
Dried chrysanthemum flowers steeped in hot water; called tea, but with no tea leaf
The short answer
Chinese chrysanthemum tea (菊花茶, júhuā chá) is an infusion of dried chrysanthemum flowers, with no tea leaves. Popular since the Song dynasty, it is often sweetened with rock sugar. The best-known kinds are Hangbaiju from Tongxiang in Zhejiang and Huangshan Gongju from Anhui. Its traditional health uses are largely untested in people.
| Chinese name | 菊花茶 júhuā chá, ‘chrysanthemum tea’ |
|---|---|
| What it is | Dried flowers of Chrysanthemum morifolium or C. indicum steeped in hot water |
| Tea leaves? | None in the plain drink, so it is a herbal infusion |
| Best-known kinds | Hangbaiju 杭白菊 (Tongxiang, Zhejiang); Huangshan Gongju 黄山贡菊 (Shexian, Anhui) |
| Tongxiang output | Over 40,000 mu (about 2,700 ha) and over 5,000 t of dried flowers in 2025 |
| How it is drunk | Hot, often with rock sugar, re-steeped several times; also sold canned and in cartons |
| Caution | Can interact with immune-suppressing drugs; allergic reactions reported |
What chrysanthemum tea is
Chrysanthemum tea is made from the dried flowers of Chrysanthemum morifolium or Chrysanthemum indicum, steeped in hot water. There is no tea plant in it, so in Western terms it is a herbal infusion, a tisane; in Chinese it is still called 茶 (chá). Chrysanthemum was grown in China as a medicinal herb very early and became popular as a drink during the Song dynasty.
The brewed drink is clear, pale to bright yellow and floral. Because it contains no tea leaf, plain chrysanthemum tea has none of the caffeine of green or black tea. Blends that add tea leaves, as in some flower-and-tea mixes, do contain caffeine.[1]
The main kinds of Chinese chrysanthemum
Chinese shops sell chrysanthemum by origin. Hangbaiju and Gongju are the two most popular.[1][2][4][5][6]
| Kind | Chinese | Where | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hangbaiju (‘Hangzhou white chrysanthemum’) | 杭白菊 Hángbáijú, also 杭菊 Hángjú | Tongxiang, Jiaxing, Zhejiang | National geographical-indication product; grown commercially in Tongxiang for nearly 400 years |
| Huangshan Gongju (‘tribute chrysanthemum’) | 黄山贡菊 Huángshān Gòngjú | Shexian, Huangshan, Anhui | Cultivated for more than 800 years; one of China’s ‘four famous chrysanthemums’; GI-protected |
| Chuju | 滁菊 Chújú | Chuzhou, Anhui | A regional variety sold for tea |
| Boju | 亳菊 Bójú | Bozhou, Anhui | A regional variety sold for tea |
Tongxiang: the home of Hangbaiju
Despite the name, Hangzhou white chrysanthemum is grown mainly in Tongxiang, in Jiaxing near Hangzhou, which calls itself the ‘hometown of Chinese Hangbaiju’ (中国杭白菊之乡). Commercial planting there goes back nearly 400 years. November is harvest month.
It is a sizeable crop. China Daily reported about 50,000 mu (some 3,300 hectares) planted each year, with 2021 output of 8,000 tonnes worth 445 million yuan. China News Service put the area at over 40,000 mu and dried-flower output at over 5,000 tonnes in 2025. Exports are growing too: Jiaxing Customs reported 26.54 million yuan of exports in January–April 2022, up 51.4% on a year earlier.[2][3][4]
Huangshan Gongju
Huangshan Gongju (黄山贡菊) comes from Shexian county in Huangshan city, Anhui, which is also known for Huangshan Maofeng green tea. It has been cultivated for more than 800 years, is counted among China’s ‘four famous chrysanthemums’ (四大名菊), and is a geographical-indication protected product; China’s intellectual property office approved Shexian producers to use the GI mark in 2019. In 2024 local researchers even sent Gongju seeds into orbit on the Shijian-19 satellite for breeding trials.[5][6]
How Chinese people drink it
- In a glass or pot. A few dried flowers go into water just off the boil, at about 90–95°C, in a teapot, cup or glass.
- Sweetened. Rock sugar or cane sugar is often added.
- Re-steeped. The same flowers are traditionally topped up several times, each infusion a little weaker.
- With goji. Ready-made sachets combine chrysanthemum with goji berries (wolfberries) and rock sugar; Eu Yan Sang, for example, sells one made with Tongxiang chrysanthemum.
- In eight-treasure tea. Chrysanthemum is one of the ingredients of 八宝茶 (bābǎo chá), served to honoured guests in Xinjiang and Ningxia with tea leaves, dried longans, osmanthus, rock sugar and wolfberries.
- Off the shelf. Chrysanthemum tea is sold canned, in juice-box cartons and as teabags in Asian supermarkets and restaurants.
Questions readers ask
What is chrysanthemum tea?
An infusion of dried chrysanthemum flowers (Chrysanthemum morifolium or C. indicum) in hot water. In China it is called 菊花茶 (júhuā chá) and has been drunk since at least the Song dynasty. It tastes mild and floral, and is often sweetened with rock sugar.
Is chrysanthemum tea actually tea?
No. Plain chrysanthemum tea contains no leaves of the tea plant, so it is a herbal infusion. In Chinese it is nonetheless called 茶 (chá), tea.
Does chrysanthemum tea have caffeine?
Plain chrysanthemum tea is made only from flowers, so it has no caffeine from tea leaves. Blends that mix chrysanthemum with green, black or other tea do contain caffeine.
What is the best Chinese chrysanthemum tea?
The two most popular kinds are Hangbaiju (杭白菊) from Tongxiang in Zhejiang, and Huangshan Gongju (黄山贡菊) from Shexian in Anhui. Both are geographical-indication protected products. Chuju from Chuzhou and Boju from Bozhou, both in Anhui, are also sold.
How do you make chrysanthemum tea?
Put a few dried flowers in a cup, glass or pot and pour on water just off the boil, about 90–95°C. Add rock sugar if you like. Top up with hot water several times; each infusion is a little weaker.
What are the benefits of chrysanthemum tea?
Traditional Chinese medicine uses it for colds, fever and eye complaints, but Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center says these uses have not been tested in people and human data are lacking. Treat it as a pleasant caffeine-free drink, not a remedy.
Who should not drink chrysanthemum tea?
Memorial Sloan Kettering advises people taking immune-suppressing drugs, or certain medicines processed by the CYP3A4 enzyme, to avoid it, and lists people allergic to ragweed among those who should not use it. Allergic skin reactions and sun sensitivity have been reported.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Chrysanthemum tea (Gukhwa-cha) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- China Daily Zhejiang, Hangzhou white chrysanthemum enters harvest season in Tongxiang (14 November 2022) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- China Daily Zhejiang, Exports of Hangzhou white chrysanthemum up 51.4% (19 May 2022) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- China News Service, Tongxiang, Zhejiang: 10,000 mu of Hangbaiju harvested (20 November 2025, in Chinese) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- China News Service via Phoenix New Media, Huangshan Gongju space-bred seeds sown in Shexian (19 March 2025, in Chinese) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- China National Intellectual Property Administration, Announcement No. 312 approving use of the GI product mark, incl. Huangshan Gongju (9 July 2019, in Chinese) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, About Herbs: Chrysanthemum · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Eu Yan Sang, Chrysanthemum Goji Tea (product ingredients) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- China Daily Europe, China’s little red raisin (wolfberry and eight-treasure tea, 9 June 2017) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction