14 Different Types of Chrysanthemum Varieties For Your Garden
Thinking of adding some mums to your garden this season but aren't quite sure which type to grow? There are many different types of mums that you can grow, depending on your hardiness zone. In this article, gardening expert Liessa Bowen looks at the most popular mums most gardeners choose to plant, with names and pictures of each.
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Chrysanthemums, also known as Mums, are almost synonymous with autumn. Mums are readily available as potted plants in the fall and many people buy them to use as short-term decorations. They are frequently found for sale as densely-blooming potted plants, which can easily be incorporated into any sunny spot around the house or in the yard or garden.
Mums can add color and interest to the fall home and garden landscape. Potted mums are often grown as annuals and discarded after blooming. Most people see these common potted varieties and don’t realize that Mums can be grown in the garden as perennials.
Most Chrysanthemums are fall-blooming perennials, although some begin blooming in mid to late summer. Chrysanthemums are in the Aster family. “Chrysanthemum” is a genus with about 20 species with many more hybrids.
There are so many different varieties of Chrysanthemum, it would be difficult to list them all. Mums tend to be classified into different flower types, based upon the flower petal arrangement.
Chrysanthemum Flower Types
- Single – Daisy-like single blooms
- Decorative – Blooms flat on the back, slightly convex on the top, dense petals
- Incurve – Large compact, globe-shaped blooms
- Reflex – Large blooms with irregularly growing petals
- Pompom – Small, dense blooms, grow in masses
- Anemone – Single blooms with large centers
- Spoon – Daisy-like blooms with curved, spoonlike petal tips
- Quill – Thin tube-like petals
- Spider – Long, gracefully drooping petals with coiled ends
Chrysanthemum Basics
In general, Chrysanthemums all have similar growth requirements. They grow best in rich, well-drained soil. Roots like to be kept moist, but not wet or soggy. They do best in full sun to part shade, and require plenty of sun to maintain their bushy growth and abundant blooms.
Mums benefit from a few fertilizer applications each growing season. This boosts their ability to grow well and bloom well. Many varieties, though not necessarily all, also benefit from pinching back in spring to early summer to keep plants bushy and compact.
After blooming in the fall or winter, you can cut back plants to about 6 inches. Mulch them well to protect the roots for overwintering. Most Chrysanthemums are hardy within USDA Climate Zones 5-9.
So Many Varieties!
There really are an amazing number of recognized Chrysanthemum varieties and hybrids. In general, they tend to grow between 1 and 3 feet tall, though some may be taller or shorter. Leaves also tend to have a distinctive lobed shape that is typical of Mums.
But the real variation is in the flowers. Flowers can be small or quite large. They can have a simple, single layer of petals, or multiple dense layers of petals. Petals can be flat, curved, hollow, or spoon-shaped, long or short, thin or thick.
Flowers may be rounded like a globe, or with gracefully drooping spider-like petals. And there are a great number of color variations, including many shades of white, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, and green.
Let’s have a look at some of the many varieties of Chrysanthemums that you can grow in your home garden.
‘Allouise Pink’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum ‘Allouise Pink’
- Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower: Incurve; Pale pink
- Height: 3-4 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- USDA Climate Zone: 6-9
Allouise Pink is a beautiful Chrysanthemum. The plants grow tall and bushy with large flowers. The blooms are very attractive salmon pink to pale pink. These flowers are described as “incurve” blooms and have a somewhat globe-like form with a multitude of gracefully upward-curving petals.
Allouise Pink is a larger variety of Chrysanthemum. This striking plant would look nice planted towards the back of the perennial garden, or as a central showpiece. Single blooms on strong stems make an excellent cut flower. This Mum blooms readily throughout the autumn months.
‘Anastasia Green’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum ‘Anastasia Green’
- Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower: Quilled; Pale green
- Height: 2-3 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full fun to part shade
- USDA Climate Zone: 5-9
Anastasia Green has unusual pale green flowers. The flowers are called “quilled” because the petals are thin, hollow tubes, which gives this plant a very unique look. The blooms are large and make excellent cut flowers that nicely compliment other bright colors.
The plants themselves are medium sized and vigorously growing. Plant them in the perennial garden among some other multi-colored fall-blooming plants. They bloom through the autumn months until frost.
‘Bolero’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum ‘Bolero’
- Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower: Single; Yellow with yellow center
- Height: 1.5-2 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
- USDA Climate Zone: 5-9
Bolero is a very yellow Chrysanthemum. They have yellow centers and almost apricot yellow flower petals. Flowers are beautiful, showy, profuse, and make good cut flowers.
Densely growing plants are prolific both in growth and with an abundance of flowers. Bolero blooms from late summer through fall. It’s a slightly smaller variety and would look wonderful along a border or planted in a cluster among other perennials.
‘Clara Curtis’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum ‘Clara Curtis’
- Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower: Single; Pink with yellow center
- Height: 1.5-2 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- USDA Climate Zone: 5-9
Clara Curtis is a beautiful Chrysanthemum. The flowers are considered “single” blooms because they are the simple daisy-like petal arrangement with a single flower on each stem. Flowers have a yellow center with pink petals and make very attractive cut flowers.
Clara Curtis is a fairly compact plant. It would make a wonderful addition to a perennial garden or along a border. It would also look nice growing in a large container. This plant blooms from late summer through mid fall with a dense covering of showy flowers.
‘Fireglow Bronze’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum ‘Fireglow Bronze’
- Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower: Decorative; Golden yellow-orange
- Height: 1-2 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- USDA Climate Zone: 5-9
Bright and beautiful, the showy flowers of Fireglow Bronze make a stunning fall display. Fireglow Bronze is a prolific bloomer. Its masses of bright orange flowers compliment many other fall colors.
This Mum blooms from early fall through frost. Plants are compact and bushy, making an excellent addition to a perennial garden, edge planting, or container-grown arrangement.
‘Grandchild’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum ‘Grandchild’
- Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower: Pompom, pink to lavender
- Height: 1.5-2 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- USDA Climate Zone: 5-9
Grandchild has “pompom” flowers, with an abundance of petals that are nicely rounded. Flowers are showy and pink, tending towards a lavender hue.
Grandchild is a hardy, low-maintenance plant. It blooms from early to mid fall with an intense display of blooms. The plants are dense and compact, making a very attractive addition to any garden arrangement.
‘Hillside Sheffield Pink’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum ‘Hillside Sheffield Pink’
- Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower: Single, Apricot pink with yellow center
- Height: 2-3 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Climate Zone: 5-9
Hillside Sheffield Pink is an excellent plant for a sunny spot in the perennial garden. Plants are low maintenance and hardy. They don’t require any special pruning and are reliable bloomers year after year.
The single flowers atop long stems make nice cut flowers and also attract pollinators. These plants bloom from late summer until frost. Flowers are a salmon-pink color and may vary slightly in hue, from slightly more orange to slightly more pink.
‘Ja Dank’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum ‘Ja Dank’
- Type: Intermediate Incurve; White
- Flower: White
- Height: 3-4 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- USDA Climate Zone: 7-9
The Ja Dank Chrysanthemum has large, showy, white flowers. The “intermediate incurve” blooms are very rounded with petals that curve gently upwards. These make excellent cut flowers.
Ja Dank is a standout in the fall garden and would compliment other plants nicely. This is a taller variety of Mum, so would look good in the background or as a centerpiece. It blooms from late summer through early fall.
‘Matchsticks’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum ‘Matchsticks’
- Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower: Spoon; Yellow with orange-red tipped petals
- Height: 1.5-2 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- USDA Climate Zone: 5-9
The Chrysanthemum Matchsticks blooms throughout the autumn months. Plants are nicely bushy and compact. They would be an excellent fall-blooming space-filler in the perennial garden.
Cheery multicolor flowers are uniquely tinted. Colors change from yellow at the center to dark reddish-orange at the petal tips in a very attractive bloom. The “spoon” variety of flowers have hollow petals which end with spoon-shaped tips, which gives them a very unusual appearance.
‘Moonbeam’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum x morifolium ‘Moonbeam’
- Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower: Pompom; White to pale yellow
- Height: 2-3.5 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- USDA Climate Zone: 5-9
Moonbeam has large, striking, white to pale yellow flowers that actually do resemble a full moon. The flowers are considered a “pompom” variety because they cover the plant with a mass of small blooms that are dense and rounded. The flowers of this Mum are relatively large and make very attractive cut flowers.
These Mums can grow a bit taller than some of the others. It would be a stunning accent plant, whose white flowers would compliment any other nearby plants. Plant Moonbeam Mums in the perennial garden wherever you want a gentle moonbeam glow.
‘Radiant Igloo’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum ‘Radiant Igloo’
- Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower: Single; Yellow with yellow center
- Height: 1.5-2 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- USDA Climate Zone: 5-9
The flowers of Radiant Igloo are bright yellow and cheery. You can count on these Chrysanthemums to grace your garden with decorative blooms year after year. In peak bloom, these compact plants are densely covered with intensely yellow flowers.
Radiant Igloo makes a striking display in the fall garden. This Mum blooms from late summer through frost. Plants are low-maintenance and easy to grow, making this a good choice for a truly radiant fall-blooming perennial.
‘Regal Mist Purple’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum ‘Regal Mist Purple’
- Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower: Incurve; Purple to fuschia
- Height: 3-4 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- USDA Climate Zone: 5-9
Regal Mist Purple lives up to its name. Its beautiful purple blooms are dense and globe-like. They look great in the garden landscape and also make good cut flowers.
Regal Mist Purple blooms from late summer through mid-fall. These are relatively tall Mums. With their annual abundance of brightly colored flowers, they make a stunning addition to the perennial garden.
‘Symphony’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum ‘Symphony’
- Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower: Spider; Reddish orange to yellow
- Height: 2-3.5 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- USDA Climate Zone: 4-10
A Symphony Chrysanthemum in full bloom somewhat resembles a miniature fireworks display during the grand finale. Flowers are very showy. The colorful blooms can be multicolored, ranging from reddish-orange to yellow. Petals are long and elegant with a curl at the end of each.
Symphony is a mid-size Chrysanthemum that would look great in any garden display. It blooms from mid-summer through fall and compliments the fall foliage. The large blooms make choice cut flowers.
‘Yellow Quill Mammoth Mum’
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum Mammoth™ ‘Yellow Quill’
- Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower: Quill; Pale yellow with yellow center
- Height: 2.5-3 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- USDA Climate Zone: 4-9
The Yellow Quill Mammoth Mum has uniquely attractive blooms that will catch your eye from late summer through fall. Long, narrow petals look like hollow tubes with little spoons on the end. Flower petals are pale yellow with a darker yellow center.
These plants can grow rather dense, forming a rounded mound. In peak bloom, it can appear as a large yellow orb. Yellow Quill Mammoth attracts butterflies. This variety does better in colder climates than some other Mum varieties.
Final Thoughts
There are so many different varieties of Chrysanthemums, with new cultivars continuing to be developed and named. This list includes just a few types of Chrysanthemum, to give an example of the diversity of this highly variable plant.
Flowers come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. Mums are hardy perennials and fairly easy to grow. Mums are a worthy addition to the home garden. With a little care and attention, they can provide years of beautiful late summer and autumn floral displays.
