Chrysanthemum, an endangered flower in Indre-et-

Chrysanthemum, an endangered flower in Indre-et-
Chrysanthemum, an endangered flower in Indre-et-Loire

All Saints' Day is the time for flowers. Where we ignore the fear of Halloween costumes, and where we decorate the grave of the deceased the next day. For horticultural producers, if their flagship period of activity remains spring, All Saints' Day is not negligible. « For my part, All Saints’ Day represents 30% of my annual turnover »shares Sébastien Boutard, horticulturist in -en-Touraine.

Among the flowers, one is particularly popular: the chrysanthemum. « It is a plant that flowers on All Saints' Day, and is quite resistant to cold. »explains Frédéric Couratin, horticulturist in Ballan-Miré. Furthermore, the chrysanthemum can be of a wide variety of colors: white, yellow, red or even pink.

Flowers which remain as colorful as ever, despite the weather which has put them to the test. « This year, it was complicated in terms of culture. We had mild weather which activated flowering earlier than usual, and there was also a lot of rain, which damaged the foliage and stained the flowers.explains Sébastien Boutard, who believes « 5% losses » this season.

“A tradition doomed to disappear”

Despite unpredictable weather and the few losses recorded, horticulturists remain confident for this season. Their concerns are more long-term. « The market has been stable in recent years, but in the long term, we feel that there is a slight regression »shares Théo Van Delft, horticulturist producer in Sorigny.

In the profession for years, even decades, they note declining sales. « My dad made between 5,000 and 6,000 pots in the 90s. Today, I make around 2,500 »shares Sébastien Boutard, who took over the business from his father in 2013.

For professionals in the sector, this is explained by a change in habits. “The new generations are not used to flowers on graves. In the future, this will be a tradition that is doomed to disappear”shares Sébastien Boutard, who notices a loyal but aging clientele. « Also, before, all the people were buried. Now many are cremated. So the flowering is not the same as for a classic tomb »adds Théo Van Delft.

Faced with falling sales and generally increasing costs, producers had to raise prices, but only slightly. « We can't raise our prices too much, otherwise customers won't follow »notes Frédéric Couratin. At the various horticultural producers in Indre-et-, a pot of chrysanthemum costs between €7 and €8. Decorating graves with chrysanthemums, a practice that people under 20 don't seem to know about, and which could be doomed to disappear.

Where does the tradition come from?

If the act of paying tribute to the graves of the deceased on the occasion of All Saints' Day dates back several hundred or even thousands of years, families originally placed candles there.

In 1919, the President of the Republic at the time, Raymond Poincaré, and the Minister of War, Georges Clemenceau, asked the French to decorate the graves of soldiers who died for during the First World War (1914-1918). .

During this season marked by autumn, a plant blooms at this time of year: the chrysanthemum. Resistant to cold and moderate frost, it also offers a nice diversity of color. It is therefore the flower which was favored for the decoration of tombs.

Initially encouraged on the occasion of the armistice, November 11, the tradition was established on November 2, for All Souls' Day. In practice, families gather more the day before, during All Saints' Day, a public holiday.

-

-

PREV after a record September, October was also particularly rainy
NEXT a family grave vandalized in a city cemetery