Few flowers signal fall’s arrival like the cheerful chrysanthemum. Known as mums, these squat, bushy plants boast long-lasting blooms that bring weeks of color while many other flowers fade for the season.
According to Missouri Extension horticulturalist David Trinklein, mums are more popular than ever, thanks to new varieties developed by plant breeders. “A myriad of colors, flower types and bloom dates abound each year,” Trinklein said.
A relative newcomer, the Belgium or European garden mum, has become a popular choice for gardeners because of its spectacular size and showy color.
Chrysanthemums are also an example of a cultigen — a plant that exists only through human cultivation. “If not for human intervention, mums wouldn’t exist,” Trinklein said.
Plant breeders have worked to produce mums that bloom at specific times of year. The plants require long periods of darkness each day to form flowers. Historically, most varieties bloomed in mid to late summer, but modern cultivars now bloom from late September through mid-October, when cooler weather helps the flowers last longer.