Chinese Chrysanthenum Stone on Hardwood Base

A bed of chrysanthemums that needs no water and has no plans to wilt.

This chrysanthemum stone on a hardwood base comes from Hunan Province, China, of indeterminate age, and the record describes it as a fossil gongshi. Gongshi, often called scholar's rocks, have been collected in China for centuries for their shape and surface, and set on fitted stands for contemplation. This upright boulder rises to a rounded crown with a stepped shoulder on one side. Golden, flower-like sprays cover the polished surface, overlapping against blue-gray stone. A dark, footed base holds it steady. Forty-nine inches high.

It blooms all year, on no schedule at all.