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mums Chrysanthemum

Other plants called mums:

Phonetic Spelling
Kri-SAN-thee-mum
Description

Chrysanthemum is a large genus in the Asteraceae (daisy) family. of which there are thousands of cultivars. The name "chrysanthemum" is derived from ancient Greek for the words gold and flower. The plants can grow 2-4 feet tall with blooms that are white, yellow, or pink in the wild species. There are now cultivars with many colors and shapes of flowers. Mums are divided into garden hardy and exhibition types. Garden hardy mums can be planted in gardens while exhibition mums are more florist types and need special growing care. 

Garden mums are often sold in the fall but can be planted in the garden for the following year. Some mums do not reliably come back to bloom, especially in the southeast. They need organic soils in full sun but can tolerate some shade in the south. Be sure to cut the plants back in summer to encourage bushiness and a later bloom time. Use in the border, in pots, or on the patio or porch for fall color.

The chrysanthemums available in the horticultural trade can be categorized loosely into four informal groups.

  • The Korean or Rubellum chrysanthemums are hardy garden perennials that can be planted in mixed borders with other herbaceous perennials. (e.g. ‘Mary Stoker’ ‘Nell Gwynn’ ‘Perry’s Peach’)
  • The Spray chrysanthemums produce branched clusters of flowers. These too are perfect for the perennial border and perform reliably year after year. (e.g. ‘Chatsworth’ ‘Pumpkin’)
  • The Charm and Cushion Mum types are the chrysanthemums bred for pot culture and are the ones sold in supermarkets and big box stores in the autumn. They tend to form rounded, compact plants and have small flowers. (e.g. ‘Bravo’ ‘Barbara’ ‘Casablanca’)
  • Bloom chrysanthemums are grown for the show bench or cut flowers. Trained to a single stem bearing a single flower (head) and disbudded (axillary shoot removed), these cultivars produce very large, showy flowers, but the labor inputs are considerable.

These groups are not to be confused with the judging classes (of which there are 13) by the National Chrystanthemum Society.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems

The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common pests and diseases.

VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.

 

Profile Video:
See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
'Cathy's Rust', Chrysanthemum (Rubellum Group), Chrysanthemum x morifolium, 'Lavender Lady'
Tags:
#cultivars#showy flowers#fall flowers#white flowers#red flowers#yellow flowers#orange flowers#border planting#container plant#perennial#patio#landscape plant sleuths course
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
'Cathy's Rust', Chrysanthemum (Rubellum Group), Chrysanthemum x morifolium, 'Lavender Lady'
Tags:
#cultivars#showy flowers#fall flowers#white flowers#red flowers#yellow flowers#orange flowers#border planting#container plant#perennial#patio#landscape plant sleuths course
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Chrysanthemum
    Family:
    Asteraceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    Flowers and seeds are used to make an insecticide.
    Life Cycle:
    Annual
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    East Asia and northeastern Europe
    Wildlife Value:
    Some flowers attract bees
    Edibility:
    Yellow or white chrysanthemum flowers are boiled to make a sweet drink in some parts of Asia.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Multi-stemmed
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    High Organic Matter
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Available Space To Plant:
    12 inches-3 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Type:
    Achene
    Fruit Description:
    Ribbed achene
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Orange
    Pink
    Red/Burgundy
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Head
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Radial
    Flower Description:
    Flowers have ray florets arranged around the yellow disc florets. Some cultivars have no disc flowers. There can be a single to many rows of ray florets. The heads can occur singly or in clusters and come in many shapes and colors. The size varies by cultivar and some can be quite large.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Fragrant
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Margin:
    Lobed
    Serrate
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Width:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    The green leaves are 1-1.5 inches long and wide. They are alternate on the stem, aromatic and deeply serrated or lobed.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Container
    Patio
    Walkways
    Landscape Theme:
    Children's Garden
    English Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Problems:
    Contact Dermatitis