Short answer: chrysanthemum blooming tea is a hand-tied bundle of green or white tea leaves with dried chrysanthemum flowers inside. In hot water the leaves open and the chrysanthemum rises out of the middle, so you brew it in clear glass. It is not the same as chrysanthemum flower tea, which is dried flowers only and contains no tea leaves. The easiest one to buy right now is the Yunnan Sourcing “Blissful Love” ball, white tea with yellow chrysanthemum, from $5.25 for five.
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Chrysanthemum is one of the classic flowers inside a blooming tea. Wikipedia’s entry on flowering tea lists it among the flowers “commonly used,” alongside globe amaranth, jasmine, lily, hibiscus and osmanthus. If you are new to the whole idea, our guide to what blooming tea is and how to prepare it covers how the balls are made. This page is only about the chrysanthemum versions: what is inside them, how they differ from a cup of plain chrysanthemum tea, which ones you can actually buy, and how to brew one so it opens properly.
Prices and stock are as shown on each seller’s page in October 2026. Check the current listing before you buy.
Chrysanthemum Blooming Tea at a Glance
| Chrysanthemum blooming tea | Chrysanthemum flower tea | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Tea leaves hand-tied around chrysanthemum (and sometimes other) flowers | Dried chrysanthemum flowers only |
| Tea leaves? | Yes, green or white tea | No |
| Caffeine | Yes, from the tea leaves | Sold as caffeine-free (for example Seven Cups Tai Ju) |
| How much per pot | One ball or bulb | Seven Cups says 2 Tbs (4 g) for its Tai Ju |
| Sellers’ water temperature | 70 to 80°C up to 212°F, depending on the seller (see below) | Wikipedia: usually 90 to 95°C; Seven Cups Tai Ju: 212°F |
| Best vessel | Clear glass, so you can watch it open | Glass, cup or porcelain pot |
What Is Chrysanthemum Blooming Tea?
Wikipedia defines a flowering tea as “a bundle of dried tea leaves wrapped around one or more dried flowers.” In a chrysanthemum bloom, the chrysanthemum is the flower that matters, though it is often joined by others. The labels show two main styles.
The tribute chrysanthemum column
The most striking style uses large white chrysanthemum heads stacked on a thread. Seven Cups describes its Chrysanthemum Green Blooming Tea as early spring green tea “hand-sewn into a flower shape,” with long leaves that open like petals “to release a floating column of three large white chrysanthemum flowers.” The flowers are Huangshan gongju, or tribute chrysanthemum, and the tea comes from She County in Huangshan City, Anhui Province. A wholesale maker, Vicony Teas, gives the same three-flower design in numbers: its Chrysanthemum Flowering Tea lists “Huangshan Maofeng 78%, Chrysanthemum flower 22%(3).” That is a useful benchmark for what a chrysanthemum-led bloom should contain.
The mixed bouquet ball
The other style puts a smaller yellow chrysanthemum in with other flowers. Yunnan Sourcing’s “Blissful Love” ball lists its composition as “Jasmine flowers, Globe Amaranth Flower, Yellow Chrysanthemum, and Silver Needle White tea,” and says each ball weighs about 7.5 grams. Newby’s Milky Flowering Tea is described as “a smooth, creamy green tea with a colourful bouquet of chrysanthemum and amaranth flower.”
Either way, the base is real tea, so a chrysanthemum bloom has caffeine. If caffeine matters to you, our tea caffeine guide explains how much different tea types tend to contain.
Chrysanthemum Blooming Tea vs Chrysanthemum Flower Tea
This is the mix-up most people run into when they search. Plenty of shops sell “chrysanthemum tea” that is not a blooming tea at all.
Wikipedia’s chrysanthemum tea article describes it as “a flower-based infusion beverage made from the chrysanthemum flowers,” made from Chrysanthemum morifolium or C. indicum. It names Huangshan gongju and Hangbaiju as the most popular Chinese varieties. There are no tea leaves in it. A typical retail example is Seven Cups’ Tai Ju (Baby Chrysanthemum), sold as a “Caffeine Free Herbal Tea” made from “young chrysanthemum flowers harvested just before blooming,” at $10.50 for 50 grams.
So the practical differences are:
- What you are drinking. A blooming tea is a cup of green or white tea with chrysanthemum in it. Flower tea is chrysanthemum on its own.
- Caffeine. Blooms have it, because of the tea leaves. Plain chrysanthemum flower tea is sold as caffeine-free.
- The look. Loose flowers float and soften in the pot. Only the tied bloom opens into a shape, which is the reason to pay for it.
Notice too that the Seven Cups bloom uses the same Huangshan gongju flower that Wikipedia names as a popular flower-tea variety. It is the same flower used two ways.
One labeling trap: Newby labels its Milky Flowering Tea a “Fruit & Herbal Tisane,” yet the description says it is green tea. Read the ingredients or description rather than the shop label when you need to know whether there is tea in it.
Chrysanthemum Blooming Teas You Can Buy
Chrysanthemum blooms are harder to find than jasmine ones. Here is everything we could confirm from a seller’s own page.
| Product | Base tea | Chrysanthemum style | What you get | Listed price (Oct 2026) | Seller’s brewing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yunnan Sourcing “Blissful Love” | Silver Needle white | Yellow chrysanthemum with jasmine and globe amaranth | 5, 10, 25 or 50 balls, about 7.5 g each | $5.25 for 5, $8.50 for 10, $17.75 for 25, $32.25 for 50 | 90°C, covered, several minutes |
| Seven Cups Chrysanthemum Green Blooming Tea | Early spring green | Column of three white tribute chrysanthemums | Count not stated | $8.00 (out of stock when checked) | 212°F, at least 5 minutes, 12 oz glass |
| Newby Milky Flowering Tea | Green | Chrysanthemum with amaranth | Approx. 20 flowers | Shown in your local currency | 70 to 80°C, 3 to 5 minutes |
| Vicony Chrysanthemum Flowering Tea | Huangshan Maofeng green | Three white chrysanthemums | Wholesale only | No retail price listed | 150 ml of 85°C water, 3 to 5 minutes |
Per ball, the Yunnan Sourcing prices work out to about $1.05 in the 5-pack and about $0.65 in the 50-pack (price divided by count, rounded).
Which Chrysanthemum Bloom to Buy
Easiest to buy and best value: Yunnan Sourcing “Blissful Love”
The Blissful Love ball is the one with a clear price, a clear composition and a choice of pack sizes. It is white tea rather than green, and the chrysanthemum shares the ball with jasmine and globe amaranth, so expect a floral cup rather than a pure chrysanthemum one. Yunnan Sourcing says these “can be infused several times.” The trade-off is presentation: they are sold by the count, not boxed for gifting. Its sister ball, “Well of Wisdom”, lists the same composition at the same prices, so you can buy both if you want two shapes.
The classic look: Seven Cups Chrysanthemum Green Blooming Tea
If what you picture is the tall column of white flowers, the Seven Cups bloom is that design, made with Huangshan tribute chrysanthemum and green tea from Anhui. It was listed at $8.00 but marked out of stock when we checked, and the page does not say how many blooms that buys. It is worth watching for a restock, and it is a good reference for what to look for elsewhere: three large white flowers on a thread, green tea from Huangshan.
A gift-shop option: Newby Milky Flowering Tea
Newby’s Milky Flowering Tea pairs chrysanthemum and amaranth with green tea, in a pack of “approx. 20 flowers.” The page shows prices in the visitor’s local currency, so check what it costs where you are. Newby notes that glassware is sold separately, so budget for a pot if you do not own one.
How to Brew Chrysanthemum Blooming Tea in Glass
Sellers do not agree on water temperature, and the spread is wide:
- Newby: 70 to 80°C, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Vicony: 85°C, 3 to 5 minutes, “until the flowering tea sink down and fully unfold.”
- Yunnan Sourcing (white tea base): 90°C, kept covered for several minutes.
- Seven Cups: 212°F, first infusion “at least 5 minutes or until fully bloomed.”
- Teabloom’s general blooming tea brewing guide: 180°F, with the bloom usually taking “3-10 minutes” to open.
Follow the temperature on the pack you bought, because the seller knows its own tea. If there is no instruction, I would start around 180°F, which sits in the middle of the green tea range above, and go hotter next time if the bloom only half opens.
- Pick a clear vessel. Seven Cups suggests a “12 oz. tall glass cup or glass teapot.” A tall shape matters more for chrysanthemum than for most blooms, because the column of flowers needs height to rise. Our guide to choosing a glass teapot that fits a blooming tea covers sizes and shapes.
- Put one bloom in the empty pot.
- Pour the water over it. Yunnan Sourcing suggests covering the pot while it opens.
- Wait for it to open, then pour. If the tea is strong, top up with hot water.
- Steep again. Seven Cups says its bloom is good for 4 infusions; Yunnan Sourcing says “several times”; Teabloom says a bloom “can be used 2 to 3 more times.”
Between steeps, Teabloom’s guide says blooms “may be stored for additional brewing in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours (remove water).”
What to Look For When Buying
- Chrysanthemum in the ingredients list. Many blooms are sold under poetic names. Check that chrysanthemum is actually listed, and whether it is the main flower or one of several.
- Which chrysanthemum. A white tribute chrysanthemum (Huangshan gongju) column gives the classic look. A yellow chrysanthemum in a mixed ball is a supporting flower.
- The base tea. Green is most common; Yunnan Sourcing’s version uses Silver Needle white. If you are unsure which you prefer, our comparison of white tea vs green tea explains the differences.
- Bloom or flower tea. If you want the opening flower, make sure it is hand-tied or hand-sewn tea, not loose dried flowers.
- Count and price per bloom. Divide the price by the number of blooms. Where a page does not give a count, ask before buying.
- A brewing temperature. A seller who states one, as all four here do, is telling you how the tea was meant to be made.
If you are buying chrysanthemum blooms as a present, our blooming tea gift set guide compares sets that include a pot and cups, so you are not giving a bloom with nothing to brew it in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is chrysanthemum blooming tea caffeine-free?
No. The blooms here are built on green or white tea leaves, and tea leaves contain caffeine. Plain chrysanthemum flower tea, such as Seven Cups’ Tai Ju, is sold as caffeine-free because it has no tea leaves.
Is chrysanthemum blooming tea the same as chrysanthemum tea?
No. Chrysanthemum tea usually means dried chrysanthemum flowers steeped on their own. A blooming tea ties tea leaves around the flowers so they open in the pot.
What does chrysanthemum blooming tea taste like?
Mostly like its base tea. The sellers here do not describe the chrysanthemum’s own flavor, so we will not guess at it. In mixed balls like Blissful Love, the jasmine also adds its own floral smell.
Can I use a mug instead of a teapot?
Yes, if it is clear and heat-safe. Yunnan Sourcing suggests “a nice clear glass teapot, mug or cup,” and Seven Cups suggests a 12 oz tall glass.
How long does it take to open?
Sellers give 3 to 5 minutes (Newby, Vicony) up to “at least 5 minutes” (Seven Cups). Teabloom’s general guide says 3 to 10 minutes.
The Bottom Line
A chrysanthemum blooming tea is green or white tea tied around chrysanthemum flowers, and it is a different drink from caffeine-free chrysanthemum flower tea. For a sure thing you can order today, buy Yunnan Sourcing’s Blissful Love balls and brew one at 90°C in a tall glass. If you want the classic column of three white tribute chrysanthemums, watch for the Seven Cups bloom to come back in stock, and use its specs as your checklist when shopping elsewhere.
Note: Product contents, specs, prices and stock come from each seller’s page as of October 2026 and can change. This article covers buying and brewing only and makes no health claims. Follow your teapot maker’s heat instructions; glass can crack if it is heated in a way it was not designed for.
This guide is part of our blooming tea series. Start with the complete blooming tea guide, see the jasmine blooming teas we compared, or find a glass teapot for your blooms. A guide to the best blooming teas to buy is coming next.
