Chrysanthemums seem to be the most misunderstood and mislabeled plant at most garden centers. Millions are sold as annuals every year, the pots set on patios, their brilliant colors enjoyed until just after frost, and then the plant is thrown away. Pity, because Chrysanthemums are perennials and can be encouraged to bloom year after year.
Chrysanthemums are herbaceous perennials, not annuals
A Chrysanthemum is an herbaceous perennial, which means it has stems that die back at the end of the growing season. New growth emerges from the rootstock every spring, creating more chrysanthemums every year until the plant reaches its maximum size. Some garden hardy chrysanthemums will naturalize and keep spreading indefinitely.
How to plant and care for Chrysanthemums
If you bought a Chrysanthemum at a nursery center (with tight blooming small flowers), it may not tolerate winter weather due to its shallow root structure. But you may be able to overwinter it, depending on how cold it gets in your area.
To enjoy your Chrysanthemum (chrysanthemum morifolium) for many years, plant the crown just below ground level so that it stays insulated during the winter. The plant crown is the area of any plant where the root mass joins the above-ground parts of the plant. When the Chrysanthemum has finished blooming for the season, after the first frost, cut it back to two inches above ground level and then put a few inches of mulch on top to insulate it and protect it from frost heave. Make sure it’s sighted in an area that is well-drained and gets lots of sunlight – at least 6 hours a day.
The best success with Chrysanthemums will be in hardiness zones with mild to moderate winters. If you live in an area with severe winters, an extended deep freeze may damage the Chrysanthemum’s rootstock and kill the plant, despite your best efforts at insulating it. If this is the case, try placing a cold frame on top of the mum to protect it. I got my garden center mums through a few winters in Pennsylvania, despite one of the coldest winters on record and lots of frost heave.
The following spring, if the crown and roots were properly planted, your Chrysanthemum will grow at least twice as large as the mum you planted. The fall display will be spectacular!
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If you buy chrysanthemums known as “garden mums” or “garden hardy mums”, like the long-stemmed type pictured above, they’ll last for many years in moderate climates. My perennial chrysanthemums bloom reliably in my fall garden in Pennsylvania year after year until the first hard frost. The only maintenance I do is to thin them every few years.
Chrysanthemums add a wonderful burst of color to a fall garden and are an important source of nectar for pollinator insects when little else is available. They’re also spectacular for filling in open spaces quickly.
Tip: A tea made from Chrysanthemum flowers is remarkably tasty and mild! It’s great on a winter night, and when mixed with chamomile or mint, makes for a very soothing, warm beverage.
We garden in Pennsylvania, United States, zone 6B. Much of the info we share is based on gardening in our temperate area. But many of the flowers, vegetables, and fruit we write about can be grown in soil other than ours (clay) and significantly different weather conditions and elevations. You might need to choose specific varieties for your region, modify your garden, add soil amendments, or adjust the soil pH to match our results. Please check your local university extension website for specifics for your area.
Re: Saving potted mums
Hi Todd,
Thanks for the informative article about Chrysanthemums. I bought a few 4.5″ dia. potted Garden Hardy Mums to brighten up the office. After 2 months of flowering now all their leaves & flowers look dried and lifeless. I regularly water them so they can’t be lack of watering. I know mums like full sun and dark nights. May be the 24/7 fluorescent lighting in the office has killed them. Do you think they will come back next spring if I cut them back to couple inches of crown, place them near a bright window (cool but not cold) and keep the soil moist?
Thanks for any suggestions.
Gordon:
Potted mums will usually start to expire in November, depending on where you live and how early they were started at the nursery. Keeping them indoors in a pot will be hit or miss with re-blooming next spring, but it’s certainly worth a try. But be careful not to over water them, as they really don’t need that much. A better choice would be to transfer the mums to a larger pot kept out of doors but sheltered, like on a porch or balcony. If you live in a temperate area, they should overwinter in pots outdoors just fine.
RE:
CHRYSANTHEMUMS
We do not live in a house with a yard. I live in a condo. Can I cut the plant back, and store it in a closet over the winter?
If so, should it be covered, in the dark???
Thanks
Martha:
No, that will kill the plant. I assume they’re in pots? If so, keep them in the pots, don’t cut them back and bring them indoors around the time of your first frost. Put them on a sunny windowsill until the worst of the winter weather has passed. Make sure you keep them well watered, but not saturated.