Florist Chrysanthemum

Botanical Name: Chrysanthemum morifolium

Florist Chrysanthemum has big, beautiful flowers crowning a mass of dark-green foliage. This is a member of the Asteraceae family, along with daisies, sunflowers and marigolds.

 

Most florist mums have daisy-type flowers, but other chrysanthemum varieties such as anemone, pompon, and spider are available.

Green Thumb Tip

The secret to keeping blossoms fresh for several weeks is to keep mums in a cool place and well-watered.

Florist mums are not hardy for growing outdoors in cold climates. This is a tender variety sold in florist shops.

Give your plant a cool, bright location, and you can expect blooms for about 6 to 8 weeks.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to get it to rebloom, so it is treated as an annual and tossed out after the blooming season is over. You can put your plant outdoors in the spring to possibly get another season of blooms, but it will never look as good.

Although temporary houseguests, these beautiful mums work hard at removing air pollutants found in homes caused by the chemicals in upholestery, paint and carpet. Florist mums are one of the best flowering plants for purifying indoor air of formaldehyde, benzene and ammonia. Find out more about air-cleaning house plants.

CAUTION: Chrysanthemum leaves are poisonous. Keep out of the reach of children and pets that may play with or ingest this plant.

Florist Chrysanthemum Care Tips

Origin: China

Height: 12-24 in (30-60 cm)

Light: Bright light

Water: Keep soil evenly moist at all times. Foliage will wilt if the roots are too dry.

Humidity: Average room humidity

Temperature: Cool temperatures 55-65°F/13-18°C; Flowers may not last as long if kept in a warm room.

Soil: Peat moss based potting mix.

Fertilizer: N/A

Propagation: Stem cuttings