Thousand-Bloom Chrysanthemum

This is one plant with 991 flowers, making it the largest Chrysanthemum in North America.

The rigorous, 18-month growing technique involves meticulous watering, pinching and tying of the chrysanthemum to a customized wire frame to train the plant to grow into the desired form. The blooms are painstakingly arranged in a dome shape, with the goal of achieving as many uniform blooms as possible.

Only a few growers in the entire world today are skilled in the techniques of training a Thousand Bloom. Longwood Gardens’ team of growers is led by Yoko Arakawa, who has trained with master chrysanthemum growers in Japan and frequently travels there to advance her understanding of this rare art form.

[via Core77]