Mum’s the Word: These Stunning Chrysanthemums Are More Reasons to Love Fall

Get a late-season dose of beauty from autumn’s most reliable flower

Johanna Silver and Heather Arndt Anderson

The stalwart champions of the autumn garden, you can’t beat chrysanthemums for fall color. The daisy relatives are a symbol of optimism and joy; in Japan, the “Festival of Happiness” celebrates these fringed blooms, and they make stunning centerpieces of a fall bouquet, especially for weddings. These fall blooms are time-honored classics, yet with so many striking forms, they’ve never looked more current. Best of all, chrysanthemums are a cinch to grow and care for at home. Here are some of the best mums in every style, perfect for bringing joy to your garden and bouquets, with tips for growing your own.

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Rethinking the mighty mum

Chrysanthemums, or mums, get a bad rap—and for good reason. The two most common types—bright white or yellow filler flowers sold at the grocery store or gaudy mounds of small-flowered garden mums that hit the nurseries as soon as temps cool—border on obnoxious. But there’s a whole world of specialty mums that will have you rethinking your resistance to this awesome late-season bloomer.

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'Saba'

With long lateral branches, this anemone-type mum is makes an excellent cut flower. Grow it for ribbon-like fuchsia petals edged in white with a lime green center.

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'Coral Charm'

This decorative mum blooms in shade of coral and apricot. The scrummy color of this exquisite chrysanthemum isn't its only charm; this cultivar lasts a long time in a vase.

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‘Vesuvio’

It’s easy to get lost staring at the white bloom fringed with a single row of tubular petals. This chrysanthemum's color—green-white tinged with stray pink dashes —makes anemone-form 'Vesuvio' a great cultivar for creative florists.

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‘Red Twig’

This is a spoon chrysanthemum—flower form as single daisies with spooned tips. ‘Red Twig’ is eye-catching with a bright yellow center and dark crimson tips.

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‘Natalini’

The threadlike pink petals are a clear giveaway that ‘Natalini’ is a spider mum—the most exotic of all types.

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‘Feeling Green’

The pompom type of chrysanthemum can be found in nearly every color, such as this bright lime ‘Feeling Green.’ This one grow heaps of blooms that seem to mesh well in almost any bouquet.

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‘Mocha’

Another spider mum, ‘Mocha’ unfurls dusty mauve petals to reveal bright burgundy tips. This exquisite chrysanthemum is the color of a Tanzanian sunset.

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‘Golden Pinwheel’

A smaller spoon type, look closely to see that pale tubes give way to bright yellow tips.

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‘River City’

With an irregular incurve form—the behemoths of the chrysanthemum—and a color like a peach bellini, there's a new bombshell right here in 'River City.'

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‘Chesapeake’

We’re all about this full white, long lasting spider mum. It looks great in a mixed bouquet (practically invented for a bridal bouquet) or in a vase of its own.

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‘Annie Girl’

Decorative types, like pinkish purple ‘Annie Girl’, present beautiful open blooms, making them perfect in mixed bouquets.

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‘Le Mans’

As a regular incurve, ‘Le Mans’ forms a complete ball. We fell hard for its large, light pink perfect form.

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‘Fleur De Lis’

‘Fleur De Lis’, a light purple bloomer, is one of the best large spiders on the market. Expect hundreds of fine lacy petals spilling into a graceful arch

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‘Fort Smith’

‘Fort Smith’ is an irregular incurve with large golden blooms. Flowers grow on particularly strong stems, making them perfect for the garden or the vase. Oftentimes mums fall in with softer and duskier shades of autumn color, which makes this bright, sunny yellow particularly welcome.

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‘Lone Star’

Being an exotic- or unclassified-form, ‘Lone Star’ blooms in an angelic pure white.

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‘Apricot Courier’

This reflex-form chrysanthemum's rich butterscotch-apricot color screams autumn. Strong stems make it ideal for the garden bed or the vase.

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‘Saga No Yuki’

‘Saga No Yuki’ is an example for a brush and thistle form of chrysanthemum. These flowers don’t open flat, but rather stay in a brush shape, resembling a thistle flower. This white cultivar plays particularly well with others.

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‘Wisp of Pink’

This brush and thistle form blooms a cheery pink.

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‘Tropez’

An intermediate incurve variety, ‘Tropez’ flowers have deep crimson tops and bronze undersides—a lovely autumn palette. Combine with 'Mocha' for the ultimate harvest-huntress fall mum color mood.

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How to Grow Chrysanthemums

The leaves of this one (Chrysanthemum coronarium) are used in cooking throughout Asia -- they're wonderful in hotpots, omelets, and salads (try them instead of frisée in a Salade Lyonnaise). They have a nice, herby flavor similar to how the flowers smell. They're an easy fall crop to grow from seed, if given rich soil, good sun, and steady moisture.

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Mum care

Plant in spring: Though famous for their fall blooms, chrysanthemums—particularly these florist varieties—need to be established in spring. Order cuttings in spring from a reliable source, such as King Mums. Rich soil: Plant mums in well-amended soil. Add several handfuls of compost to the hole at planting time. Full sun: For optimal blooming, plant mums in a spot that receives at least 6 hours of direct light. Regular water: Mums have shallow roots, making regular water a necessity -- but they despise wet feet, so ensure proper drainage. Pinch back: Remove the tips of stems to encourage branching. Repeat every two weeks until mid-July. (Garden mums—purchased as annuals in late summer—do not require pinching. Winter survival: In harsh winter areas, mulch mum beds with evergreen branches to help plants survive the freeze-thaw cycles, or dig them and store as you would dahlias.