James H. Schutte
Family
Asteraceae
Botanical Name
Chrysanthemum
Plant Common Name
Chrysanthemum
General Description
Mums ring in fall. Their cheerful flowers and timeliness bring to mind fun fall days with bountiful leaf piles, Halloween trick or treats and Thanksgiving eats.
Chrysanthemum is a genus comprised of approximately 20 to 30 species of herbaceous perennials. These originate from regions in Europe to Asia and have been long cultivated for their beautiful flowers—particularly in China and Japan where they are most revered. Thousands of cultivars exist, new and old, most of which are hybrids.
Some mums are clump forming and others spread quite rapidly via creeping rhizomes but all have mounded or bushy habits. Their leaves come in varying shades of green and are generally deeply lobed and emit a strong fragrance when crushed. The flowers appear as single, semi-double or double daisies and differ widely in form and size. There are many color options to include shades of white, yellow, red, orange, pink, purple, burgundy, bronze and bicolors. Bloom time is generally from late summer to late fall.
Chrysanthemums prefer full sun and fertile garden loam with good drainage. They are technically perennial, but hardiness is species and cultivar dependent. If fact, many cultivars are grown as annuals because they are marginally hardy. Cultivated plants are commonly pinched back in late spring to early summer to encourage a more uniform shape and to increase the density of flower buds for fall.
These are some of the most common bedding plants for fall. They are neat floriferous and colorful. Many cultivars are specially grown for the cutflower market because their blooms are beautiful, long-stemmed and long-lasting.
The flowers have 13 different floral classes, which can be further classified by flower size and flowering time.
Characteristics
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Plant Type
Perennial
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
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Native To
Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Asia
Growing Conditions
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Soil Drainage
Well Drained
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Growth Rate
Fast
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Water Requirements
Average Water
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Habit
Clump-Forming
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Seasonal Interest
Summer, Fall
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Purple, Orange, Pink, Rose, Salmon, Burgundy, Lavender
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Fruit Color
Brown
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green, Dark Green
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Fragrant Flowers
Yes
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
Yes
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single, Double, Semi-Double
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
No
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Showy Bark
No
