Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemums, affectionately called mums, are bushy perennials famous for their profuse, late-season blooms that bring color to gardens as summer fades into autumn.

Centuries of breeding have produced an enormous range of flower forms, from simple daisy-like single blooms to dense pompoms, spiders, and football-like heads, in nearly every warm color.

They are both a beloved garden and container plant for fall and one of the most important commercial cut flowers globally, with deep cultural roots in East Asia.

Recognize a chrysanthemum by:

• Flowers: Composite heads in many forms (daisy, pompom, spider, decorative) and colors, blooming mainly in autumn.
• Foliage: Lobed, aromatic, medium-green leaves with a distinctive scent when crushed.
• Habit: Bushy, mounded perennial usually 1-3 feet tall.
• Bloom trigger: A short-day plant that flowers as nights grow longer in late summer and fall.
• Stems: Branching, somewhat woody at the base in mature plants.

Mums are easy with sun and regular moisture.

• Light: Full sun for compact growth and abundant flowering.
• Water: Water regularly to keep soil evenly moist, especially while budding; avoid wetting foliage.
• Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter.
• Temperature: Hardy garden mums tolerate cold; florist types are less hardy.
• Feeding: Feed during the growing season; pinch stems in early summer for bushier, more floriferous plants.
• Propagation: Propagate by division in spring or from basal cuttings.

Garden chrysanthemums derive from species native to East Asia, especially China, where they have been cultivated for over 2,000 years, and Japan, where they are a national symbol.

Now grown worldwide, they are a fixture of autumn gardens, container displays, and the global cut-flower trade. In parts of Europe they are strongly associated with remembrance and cemeteries.