It’s an interesting question, chrysanthemums & dahlias: What’s the difference? Let’s start with the name. The Dahlia was named in honour of Andreas Dahl (1751–89), a Swedish botanist.

The reason a Swedish botanist is involved in the naming is to do with the origin of the two flowers.

Chrysanthemums are native to China, where they have been used in medicine and art for thousands of years. Consequently, they were well known in Europe from earliest times.

Dahlias are native to Mexico, and did not enter the botanical lexicon until the exploration of the New World, that began in the 1500s. It is, therefore, easy to remember which is the ‘new’ plant. It is the dahlia, named by a Swedish botanist.

So what are the key difference in appearance between the two plants? The biggest difference is the leaves. Most chrysanthemums have delicate, lacy looking leaves with many rounded lobes. Dahlia leaves are ovate, with pointed tips and slightly serrated edges.

Chrysanthemum leaves are an almost dusty-looking, blue-green colour and have a texture to their leaves. Dahlias leaves are glossier.

Without Sight Of The Leaves It is Difficult To Tell

Without seeing the leaves and the stems it can be very difficult to tell the two apart, at least for some of the varieties. The flower in the photograph here is a chrysanthemum. I know that because I photographed it. And I cropped the photo from the full frame and I have the original photo showing the leaves typical of chrysanthemums. In the absence of that, I might be hard pressed to say whether it is a chrysanthemum or a dahlia.

If I could smell the flower I may well be able to tell the difference. That’s because many chrysanthemums have strong fragrances, while most dahlias do not.

There are very many varieties of both flowers. Chrysanthemums have been cultivated for more than 3,000 years in an unbroken chain through more than five thousand years of cultural history. In Japan there are bonsai chrysanthemums.

I explained about the origin of the name of the ‘new’ plant, the Dahlia, which is not to say that the naming of the plant in its native Mexico counts for nothing. Far from it, and every nation and every culture and community deserves recognition as a valued member of the family of man. I am talking only about the names of the plants as we in England know them.

Which leads us to ask what the origin of the name of the chrysanthemum is – the plant that has been known in Europe since earliest times?

The Origin Of Name Of The Chrysanthemum

The original colour of the chrysanthemum is a golden yellow. We know from the name. That’s because the first part of the name comes from the Ancient Greek word chrysos meaning golden. The end of the word comes from the Greek for flower – ‘anthemon‘.

Chrysanthemums & Dahlias: What’s The Difference?

And there we have it. In a nutshell, the leaves of the chrysanthemum are many lobed and rounded while the dahlia’s leaves are more like a spear with serrated edges. The chrysanthemum has a fragrance, while dahlias generally do not. And if you cannot see the leaves nor smell the flowers then it can be very difficult to tell the two plants apart.

Our Chrysanthemum Greeting Card

Our Chrysanthemum Greeting Card shown in the photograph here, is a variation in a beautiful salmon pink colour. You can go straight to the online shop by clicking the name here or by clicking on the picture of the flower at the top of this article.