Chrysanthemums or “mums” are associated with autumn, appearing in jewel colors in garden centers in September and October. However, if you are growing mums, they are hardy perennial plants best planted in the early spring. Discover how to plant, grow, and care for these colorful members of the daisy family!
About Mums
The Chrysanthemum is a member of the Asteraceae (Compositae) family, related to dahlias, sunflowers, marigolds, zinnias, and cosmos. Each bloom is made of hundreds of tiny flowers called florets. The plant ranges in size from a common small cushion mum to the giant spider mums, and they bloom in almost every color of the rainbow: yellow, lavender, pink, purple, red, bronze, orange, and white. They leaves are a lovely blue/green.
A Brief Mum History
The chrysanthemum was first cultivated in China as a flowering herb back in 15th century B.C. Based on early illustrations, it appeared as more of a daisy-like flower. Since then, the mum has been bred in so many shapes, sizes, showy styles and a multitude of colors that don’t always resemble its humble beginnings.
Credit: Mums.org
According to the National Chrysanthemum Society, “the genus Chrysanthemum once included more species, but was split several decades ago into several genera, putting the economically important florist chrysanthemum in the genus Dendranthema. The placement of the florist chrysanthemum in this genus was very contentious. A ruling of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature in 1999 changed the defining species of the genus Chrysanthemum to C. indicum, giving the florist mum back its prized generic name.” The National Chrysanthemum Society divides bloom forms into 13 classes.
Decorative Mums
Mums that are sold in garden centers in the autumn should be treated as annuals. They are decorative gift plants which are not bred to be hardy; it’s their color, size and form that are prized. If these plants are put in the ground in late summer, many won’t make it through the winter in cold regions.
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Flower information
I do enjoy the article on each flower you select to give us information about. I too copy and put in a binder for reference later; I also do a copy for my 94 year old gardener who still gardens in pots but has extended beds around her house being kept up by her gardeners. Thank you for each day’s write-up. I look forward to my Almanac email each day while I drink my coffee. A request; could you please do an article on the Tuberoses? Thank you.
gardening tips and ebooks
Love these and have a file just for Farmers Almanac info on my computer for quick reference. Grew up with vegetable and fruit trees and flowers but can always find more info that I use. Thanks.