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Summary
Chrysanthemums are among the most popular perennial flowers in the world and are the showiest of the fall perennials. These flowers are cultivated around the world. Rich shades of orange, bronze yellow and crimson are accented by white, lavender and purple flowers. They are available in almost every color except blue.
Chrysanthemums' popularity stems from the fact that they are low maintenance plants and when other plants stop blooming, they are in all their glory. Mums put on spectacular, long-lasting fall color displays and are widely available in local garden centers.
One curiosity that affects mums and very few other garden flowers is the day length. These flowers put on their spectacular displays in the fall because they bloom when days are short and nights are long.
During the summer, when days are long and nights are short, chrysanthemums grow vegetatively. As the nights get longer in early fall, mums form flower buds. For them to bloom at the right time, they need a short day length. Mums near street lights or other lights that interrupt their dark period will not bloom normally. In some instances, even car lights can prevent the plants from blooming.
The plants grow well throughout Utah. Even neglected mums usually produce flowers but they have weak branches, yellowish leaves and only a few small flowers. By planting adapted varieties, chrysanthemums make an excellent perennial to beautify the fall garden for many years.
History
Chrysanthemums, or mums as they are commonly known, originated in China. Mums were first cultivated as flowering herbs in China in the 15th century B.C., where the plants were believed to have the power of life. According to legend, the boiled roots were used as a headache remedy, the young sprouts and petals were eaten in salads and leaves were brewed for a festive drink.
Around the eighth century A.D., chrysanthemums appeared in Japan. The Japanese were so taken with the flower that they adopted a single-flowered chrysanthemum as the emperor's crest and official seal. In Japan, the Imperial Order of the Chrysanthemum is the highest Order of Chivalry. Japan also celebrates National Chrysanthemum Day, called the Festival of Happiness.
The chrysanthemum made its way to the Western world during the 17th century. In 1753, renowned Swedish botanist, Karl Linnaeus coined the name by combining the Greek words "chrysos" - meaning gold - with "anthemon" - meaning flower.
Chrysanthemums came to the United States during colonial times and are the undisputed "Queen of the Fall Flowers." They are one of the most important commercially produced flowers due to their ease of cultivation, the ability to bloom on schedule, diversity of bloom forms and colors and the fact that the blooms last well.
Since the earliest illustrations of mums show them as small, yellow, daisy-like flowers, ancient growers would not recognize modern mums. Although some mums still resemble daisies, others are showier. Hybridizers have developed flowers with a wide range of colors, shapes and sizes.
Mums are in the genus Chrysanthemum which has some 30 species of flowering perennials in the Asteraceae family that are native to Asia and northeastern Europe. The plants in the genus have been reclassified several times in recent years.
Mum Categories
Three categories of mums are available. They are cut flower mums, pot mums and garden mums.
Cut flower mums produce large flowers with long, strong stems. Cut flower mums are disbudded to create larger flowers on longer stems. In some cases, only one flower bud is left on each stalk to produce what are commonly called football mums. These are not suitable garden mums because they get tall and leggy and usually bloom at the wrong time unless they are artificially shaded or lighted.
Pot mums are beautiful container plants that feature a variety of flower types. Cut flower and pot mums are produced year-round. Greenhouses artificially shorten or lengthen the night by covering the plants with black cloth or giving them artificial light to induce them to bloom out of season. Florist or potted mums are also not suited for garden planting as they are usually treated with a growth hormone to keep them short and stocky. Most have long stems that flop over when grown in the landscape.
Most cut flower mums and pot mums are not hardy and will not overwinter in Utah gardens. They produce few or no stolons so they are winter-killed by alternate freezing and thawing of the soil or they bloom so late in the season that flowers are killed by frost.
Always plant garden mums. Hardy varieties produce underground shoots or rhizomes which enable them to persist from year to year without replanting. They grow 12-18 inches high and spread 12-36 inches across. Most garden mums are covered with clusters of 1 to 1 1/2-inch flowers.
Selecting Garden Mum Plants
Garden mums are sold in the spring from specialty suppliers as cuttings. Well-rooted cuttings quickly establish themselves in the soil; they bloom the same year they are planted.
Packaged plants are sold in the spring with their roots wrapped in shavings. They bloom in the normal time for the individual variety. If they are not planted in the spring, buy potted plants. Plants purchased in the fall need well-developed flower buds.
Potted garden mums are the most popular way to establish the plants. Select short, stocky plants that hold in a tight clump and do not pull apart.
Although potted florist mums can be transplanted into the home garden, most of these plants become tall and leggy and do not survive the first winter.
