| Description | Garden Mums ABC's (Chrysanthemum x moriflium) A colorful group of plants providing fall color in the gardens. Usually grown as an annual in zone #5 but some may survive the winters. |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | Perennial Tender, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 4(5)-9, AHS 9-12 |
| Sunlight | full |
| Moisture | average |
| Soil & Site | average to well drained moisture retentive |
| Temperature | In the workshops and classes that I conduct I will ask the group about their success in growing these plants and if they did over winter. By far most of the plants that over wintered were in a garden close to the foundation of the house. I think this is from the extra heat that comes through the basement walls and the house absorbing heat from the sun in the winter, keeps the soil a bit warmer improving the chances of the plants over wintering. Most garden mums are tender perennials in zone #5. The chance of a florist variety mum over wintering in your garden is fairly slim in hardiness zone #5. |
| Flowers | wide range of colors and flower forms |
| Roots | fiborus |
| Dimensions | depends on the cultivar |
| Maintenance | Spring purchased plants or over winter plants, both need to be pinched end of May and end of June. This will produce a a fuller plant with more flowers. A non pinched plant will be tall and spindly with fewer flowers. To improve the chance for survival I like to keep at least 4-6 inches of stem on the plant during the winter. This helps to hold snow and increases the chance that the plant may over winter. |
| Propagation | easy by division or cuttings |
| Misc Facts | The Chinese started breeding this plant over 2,000 years ago and now there are thousands of cultivars. (syn Dendranthema x grandiflorum) |
| Author's Notes | At my nursery we would grow varieties of mums such as Fireside. This variety would bloom in my garden as late as mid to end of November. Having large tubs of these plants in full bloom on Turkey Day is a show stopper. If larger potted mums are purchased in the fall try to buy a few varieties that are in tight bud to extend the blooming period of your garden. |
| Notes & Reference | #79-Perennials For Every Purpose (Larry Hodgson) |
Cart
