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Get the iPhone app Scan on the webFlorist's Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum × morifolium
Also called Garden Mum, Spray Chrysanthemum, Chrysanth
About Florist's Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums are classic autumn bloomers prized worldwide for their long-lasting, showy floral displays. When grown in the garden, they form tidy bushy mounds covered in blooms from late summer until the first hard frosts. The cut flower head shown here is commonly used in floral arrangements and indoor displays.
- Type
- Herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 1 to 3 ft
- Spread
- 1 to 2 ft
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate
- Soil
- Fertile, moist, well-draining loam
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to 0 °F (-18 °C)
- Flowers
- August to November
- Growth
- Upright, branching clump
- Toxicity
- Toxic to dogs, cats, and horses
- Native to
- East Asia
How to recognise it
- Pure white ray florets arranged in multiple layered whorls
- Tight lime-green to yellowish central disc florets
- Compact spray-type composite flower head
- Long vase life when cut fresh
Caring for Florist's Chrysanthemum
Watering
Every 5 days- How often
- Once or twice weekly during dry spells
- How much
- 1 inch per week
- When
- Morning at ground level
- Tips
- Avoid wetting foliage to reduce risk of foliar fungal diseases.
Feeding
Every 30 days- How often
- Monthly during active growth until buds form
- What to use
- Balanced liquid feed (10-10-10)
- When
- Spring through mid-summer
- How
- Drench root zone thoroughly
Pruning
- When
- Late winter to early spring
- How
- Cut dead blackened stems back to 2 inches above the ground after winter.
- Tips
- Pinch stem tips in late spring and early summer to promote bushier growth and more flowers.
Jobs it will ask for
- Remove spent blooms Snip off fading flowers on garden plants to encourage remaining buds to open cleanly.
- Mulch the crown Apply 2 to 3 inches of straw or leaf mulch around garden crowns before winter frosts arrive.
Through the year
Spring
Cut back old dead growth and apply balanced slow-release fertilizer as shoots emerge.
Summer
Pinch growing tips until early July to encourage branching; keep soil consistently moist.
Autumn
Enjoy peak blooming, deadhead spent flowers, and reduce watering as temperatures drop.
Winter
Apply protective root mulch over crowns in cold zones after hard frost blackens the stems.
What to watch for
- Powdery mildew on leaves
- Ensure good air circulation, full sun, and avoid wetting foliage when watering.
- Aphids on young buds
- Wash clusters off with a strong blast of water or treat with insecticidal soap.
Reference photos
Compare what's in your garden with confirmed photos of Florist's Chrysanthemum.
Photos from iNaturalist contributors.
Written by Garden Rescue from photo identifications, in US units. Local advice from your extension service or garden centre beats a general guide.