Did You Know?

Learn more about the chrysanthemum, a popular autumn plant.

FUN FACT

years It takes almost two and about 2,000 staff single hours to nurture a cutting into this blooming dome at Longwood Gardens.

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This year’s Chrysanthemum Festival at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, will feature the unveiling of the Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum. With more than 1,000 blooms on a single stem, it will be a spectacular sight to see. The festival runs Oct. 16 through Nov. 14, 2021.

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To keep your mum plant short and full, pinch or prune to about 6 inches tall throughout early summer.

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Hundreds of chrysanthemum varieties are found across the globe. The National Chrysanthemum Society divides them into 13 classes based on bloom form.

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Plant breeder Syngenta recently launched four new varieties of pot mums: Flagstaff Topaz, Houston Yellow, Paisley Park Purple Bicolor and Roseville Pink.

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You’ll find two basic groups of mums for sale at the garden center. Florist mums are usually grown and sold as an annual or holiday plant. Hardier garden mums are used as perennials and can be planted directly into the soil.

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Give mums some space! If growing them in the garden, put plants in the ground 18 to 30 inches apart for best results. Mums also require at least five hours of sunlight per day.