chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Chrysanthemums are a group of mostly perennial plants native mainly to temperate Eurasia. A single bloom is made up of many tiny flowers, and garden varieties come in many colors and shapes. In the United States, fall garden chrysanthemums are commonly called mums.

In this group

common chrysanthemumChrysanthemum × morifolium

This is the familiar garden and florist mum sold across the United States for fall color. Cultivars differ so much that flower shape alone does not identify a wild species.

Indian chrysanthemumChrysanthemum indicum

This East Asian wild species helped shape the cultivated chrysanthemum complex. In the United States it is mainly encountered in collections or cultivation.

Zawadzki's chrysanthemumChrysanthemum zawadskii

This Eurasian perennial and its relatives contributed to some hardy garden chrysanthemums. It is not a native U.S. wildflower.

Appearance

Growth form: Most members are , and some develop a somewhat woody base.
Flowers: Wild species commonly have white, yellow, or pinkish rays. Cultivated mums range from open, daisy-like heads to densely doubled balls, with many colors between.
Fruit: The dry, one-seeded fruits lack the long feathery seen on dandelions.
How to recognize it: Leaves grow one at a time along the stem and usually have toothed edges or deep cuts shaped like an open hand or a feather. Each apparent flower is a head with around a center of tubular .

Look-alikes

oxeye daisiesLeucanthemum

Oxeye daisies have white rays and yellow centers like some wild chrysanthemums. Their leaves near the base are usually spoon-shaped and their stem leaves are relatively simple; many wild Chrysanthemum species have more deeply divided leaves. A flower photo alone may not settle the genus.

Why they get mixed upBoth groups can have white, daisy-like heads.

garland daisyGlebionis coronaria

Garland daisy is an annual with finely divided leaves and usually yellow or yellow-and-white heads. It was once named Chrysanthemum coronarium but is now placed in Glebionis.

Why they get mixed upOlder labels and seed catalogs may still use its former Chrysanthemum name.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: gardens and containers
sunny slopes and grasslands in Eurasia
rocky places in Eurasia
Range: The genus is native from temperate Eurasia to northern Indochina. In the United States, people are most likely to meet cultivated garden mums and a few escaped plants rather than native wild Chrysanthemum species.
Preferred conditions: Wild species occupy habitats ranging from grasslands to rocky slopes. Garden mums generally perform best in sun and well-drained soil, though needs vary among cultivars.

Growing it

Care: Common garden mum cultivars usually flower in fall. Full sun and good drainage help keep plants compact, but cold hardiness and return bloom vary widely by cultivar and region.
Propagation: Wild members reproduce by seed and, in some species, spreading underground stems. Named garden cultivars are commonly divided or grown from cuttings to preserve their traits.

Name and classification

About the name: Older references may place these perennials in Dendranthema. Today they are placed in Chrysanthemum, and garland daisy (Glebionis coronaria) and several other plants once called chrysanthemums now belong to other genera.
Group name: In everyday American English, “mum” usually means the garden mum (Chrysanthemum × morifolium), while “chrysanthemum” can mean the whole genus or those garden plants.

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: The name Chrysanthemum comes from Greek words meaning ‘gold’ and ‘flower,’ reflecting the yellow heads of early-known forms.

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