Chrysanthemums (mums) are perennial herbaceous flowers in the daisy family that bloom in autumn, with many thousands of cultivars grown worldwide. Give them full sun, good drainage and regular feeding, and cut back after flowering to keep them compact.
Family
Asteraceae (Daisy family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water at the base when the top of the soil feels dry, avoiding wet foliage.
Soil
Well-drained, fertile garden soil or a rich potting mix.
Temperature
10–24 °C; protect below -5 °C
How easy
Easy
Safety
Mildly toxic: Leaves and flowers can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions, and some species are mildly toxic if eaten.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Edible
Yes, some parts
About
Chrysanthemums ( kriss-AN-thə-məmz), sometimes abbreviated to mums or chrysanths, are perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the family Asteraceae that bloom in the autumn. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia, and the center of diversity is in China. Many thousands of horticultural varieties and cultivars exist.
A late-season flower, Chrysanthemums are associated in the Northern Hemisphere with the month of November.
How to grow it
Chrysanthemums (Chinese: 菊花; pinyin: Júhuā) were first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BCE. Over 500 cultivars had been recorded by 1630. By 2014, it was estimated that there were over 20,000 cultivars in the world and about 7,000 cultivars in China. The plant is renowned as one of the Four Gentlemen (四君子) in Chinese and East Asian Art. The plant is particularly significant during the Double Ninth Festival.
Chrysanthemum cultivation in Japan began during the Nara and Heian periods (early 8th to late 12th centuries) and gained popularity in the Edo period (early 17th to late 19th century). Many flower shapes, colours, and varieties were created. The way the flowers were grown and shaped also developed, and chrysanthemum culture flourished. Various cultivars of chrysanthemums created in the Edo period were characterized by a remarkable variety of flower shapes. They were exported to China from the end of the Edo period, changing the way Chinese chrysanthemum cultivars were grown and their popularity.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Chrysanthemum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.