Chrysanthemum

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.