LM AspirationsLM AspirationsIt’s Fall and Chrysanthemums (or Mums) are everywhere. You can find the fall favorite perennials in all different hues of orange, white, yellow, red, purple, pink, blue, green, and some multicolored. These popular ornamentals are a beautiful addition to any home, garden, or outdoor space. Love Chrysanthemums, they were the first plants I repotted in my first mini backyard.
Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in Asia around the 15th century, as a blossoming herb. A member of the aster family (Asteraceae), each bloom has tiny flowers or florets. Blooms range in sizes from one inch (pom mums) to six inch large mums, and can grow up to 3 feet tall. Some Chrysanthemums have disk (or disc) florets and ray florets in the flower heads, others have either ray florets or disk (or disc) florets. Wild blooms have smaller flower heads, while the hybrids and cultivated will frequently have large flower heads.
Tea made from dried Chrysanthemum flowers, was used in Asia for herbal treatments and medicine. The flower heads of the pyrethrum daisy are processed and is used as a key ingredient of the insecticide pyrethrum. Some use this natural insecticide in organic farming. Others use Chrysanthemums that contain pyrethrin to keep insects away from edible plants.
Unfortunately, Chrysanthemums are toxic to animals. Squirrels like to eat these nutrients rich flowers, but if eaten in large amounts can be deadly.
According to a society for Chrysanthemums there are 13 classes:
Class 1 – Irregular Incurve
Class 2 – Reflex
Class 3 – Regular Incurve
Class 4 – Decorative
Class 5 – Intermediate Incurve
Class 6 – Pompon (also called pom pom)
Class 7 – Single and Semi-Double
Class 8 – Anemone
Class 9 – Spoon
Class 10 – Quill
Class 11 – Spider
Class 12 – Brush and Thistle
Class 13 – Unusual
Fun facts:
• Chrysanthemums are related to artichokes, lettuce, and endive.
• Red mum means “I love you” and a white mum means innocence, purity, and pure love.
A few repotting tips:
Pick in a sunny location
Remove from original pot
Gently loosen old soil from roots
Plant at the same depth the mums were in the original pot
Use compost to add nutrients to the soil
Make sure soil is well-drained
Do not over water, keep soil evenly moist