Chrysanthemum morifolium /kɹɪˈsænθəməm/
Common name: Florist's chrysanthemum · Garden mum · Hardy mum
Chrysanthemum morifolium is a herbaceous perennial and the most important cultivated chrysanthemum, grown worldwide as a garden and cut-flower plant. It originated in China, where chrysanthemums have been bred for well over a thousand years, and was developed largely from hybrids involving Chrysanthemum indicum. Plants form bushy clumps of lobed, aromatic leaves and produce dense flower heads in nearly every color except true blue, blooming mainly in autumn. It is cultivated for ornamental bedding, pot plants, and the cut-flower trade.
Care summary
Sun
Full sun; at least 6 hours daily
Water
Regular; keep evenly moist, avoid waterlogging
Soil
Rich, well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral
Hardiness
Zones 5–9
Mature height
About 30–90 cm (1–3 ft)
Pet safe
No; toxic to cats and dogs
Difficulty
Moderate
Propagation
Usually propagated by basal softwood cuttings taken in spring. Cut 5-8 cm shoots from the base of the plant, strip the lower leaves, and root in moist, free-draining compost; keep warm and shaded until rooted. Established clumps can also be divided in spring.
Fun facts
- Chrysanthemums were cultivated in China as early as the 15th century BCE, originally as a flowering herb.
- It is a short-day plant, flowering when nights grow longer in autumn; growers manipulate day length to bloom it year-round.
- The flowers and leaves contain pyrethrins, compounds used in natural insecticides.
- In Japan the chrysanthemum is the imperial emblem, and the throne is called the Chrysanthemum Throne.