The arrival of fall heralds the blooming season of the magnificent chrysanthemum, a flower rich in history and tradition. The original mum, a golden daisy like flower, traces its ancestry to the ancient Chinese and Japanese empires. Today the mum graces gardens, cut flower arrangements and even salads (yes mums taste great), but they were taken much more seriously after T’ao Yuan Ming started it all in China around 500 A.D.