| Botanical Name: | Chrysanthemum x morifolium |
| Life Cycle: | perennial or annual |
| Planting Time: | spring or late summer |
| Height: | 1' to 4' |
| Exposure: | full sun |
| Soil: | rich, well-drained soil with a neutral to acidic pH |
| Hardiness: | zones 4 to 9 |
| Bloom Time: | midsummer to early winter |
| Flower: | yellow, orange, purple, pink, white, fuchsia, red and various shades of autumn colors; single or double blooms in a variety of showy flower heads |
| Foliage: | dark green |
| Propagation: | seeds, cuttings and division (fall or early spring) |
| Suggested Use: | beds, cut flowers, planters, pots, displays, and borders |
| Growing Hints: | In cooler zones, mums can be grown as perennials if cold-hardy cultivars are chosen. Although often planted in late summer and treated as annuals, setting them out in the spring will ensure they have enough time to establish roots to survive harsh winters. Cuttings can be taken in early spring or after flowering and rooted over winter indoors or in a cold frame. Seeds should be sown directly into ground in the spring in the location you want the plants to grow. |
| Interesting Facts: | Mums are photo-sensitive and form flower buds when the length of daylight starts to shorten (usually late July). If you plant them under a streetlight or lamppost they may never set buds.
Mums received from a florist tend to be less hardy and take longer to bloom than most garden variety mums and should be planted earlier in the season to avoid killing frosts. |
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