Chrysanthemums have become a popular garden staple, easily identifiable at your local nurseries. Flower shops begin to stock up on these perennials during the fall, quickly selling out. With stunning colors and admired patterns, it's no wonder these sought-after plants have become a favorite worldwide.
A part of the Asteraceae family, mums have an interesting history. Originating in Asia, their name, chrysanthemum, translate to "gold flower" -- It is also the symbol of life in China. But, no matter how popular these plants get, there are definitely some varieties you have never seen before such as mundial peach and Fuji mums.
If you're looking to add some zing to your fall garden, look no further then these 15 types of mums!
1. ‘Allouise’ Mums
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Allouise chrysanthemums have a rich history behind them as the inspiration for the Imperial Seal of Japan. Emperors loved this chrysanthemum family thanks to their beautiful regular incurves that helped the flower head form a bulb shape and their aromatic leaves.
These grow best from summer to autumn in USDA Zone 9 and, like all mums, need well-drained soil. It takes them up to two years to reach a five-foot height. You can find these popular flowers in gorgeous soft yellows, pinks, and silver colors.
2. ‘Apricot Enbee Wedding/ Bronze Enbee Wedding’ Mums
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This plant variant is known as both the Apricot and the Bronze Enbee Wedding. As its name says, these blooms come in striking bronze, yellow, and cream colors that make them perfect for the fall season.
These semi-double chrysanthemum flowers can grow up to three feet tall and has several rows of florets spraying from a small lime green flat center that looks like a button. If you live in a USDA Zone 9 area, this type of mum would be perfect for you!
3. ‘Baltazar’ Mums
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The Baltazar Mums have dazzling flowerheads with thin and long spiky florets. As it matures, it’s easy to see how they resemble spider legs the more it opens up, with the floret tips even curling sometimes.
Other than their distinct shape, these types of mums also grow in a purple and lime combination that’s not often seen in garden flowers. They grow best in USDA Zone 10 areas and bloom in autumn. They may look odd at first, but they’re sure to look elegant in your yard.
4. ‘Barbara’ Mums
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Barbara Chrysanthemums are stunning pompon flowers with a multitude of petals that form a decorative spherical shape. These can come in a deep pink and purple shade that’s made of structurally layered tubular petals and a compact center.
They're quite short, only growing to 1’4 feet in height, and do great in well-cultivated loam soil, full sun, and USDA Zone 9 conditions.
5. ‘Belle’ Mums
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This Belle Chrysanthemum originated from the Korean Peninsula and is a bushy mum that looks vibrant and lively. These can grow up to three feet tall and has a clump-forming growth habit that helps them make a big impression.
In summer and fall, luscious red single spray flowers with bright yellow disks bloom from them. These perennial flowers are also very hardy and can be grown using well-draining loam, sand, and clay soil in USDA Zone 8.
6. ‘Boulou Rose’ Mums
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Boulou chrysanthemums have eye-catching large flower heads growing from woody dwarf stems and aromatic deep green foliage. These tight blooms with a cushioned appearance grow in USDA Zone 10 areas and can only reach up to two feet tall.
Boulous have irregular incurved florets that curl and overlap in an unpredictable pattern. It forms a textured dome-shaped flower head. The Boulou Rose has a baby pink shade. However, they can also be found in white, yellow, and orange shades.
7. ‘Gigi Coral’ Mum
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Gigi Coral Mums are small bushy flowers that start growing from spring and blooms during late summer until fall. These are compact pompon chrysanthemums with cushiony florets that form an adorable globe shape.
You can find Gigi Mums in yellow, orange, and white colors and can only survive in a USDA Zone 9 area. It can take them around two years to grow up to a little more than a foot and a half tall, but the wait is worth it once you see them in all their blushing glory!
8. Indicum Mum
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Chrysanthemum Indicum is also referred to as the Indian Chrysanthemum and is full of life! These flowerheads have a bright green disk, and around it is a single spray of long florets with a vivid red color outlined with rich yellow.
They effortlessly grab your attention, even if they can only grow a little under two feet tall. This chrysanthemum variety is surprisingly hardy. It can grow in Zone 7 climates and requires little maintenance since disease or pests don't affect them much.
9. ‘Little Dorrit’ Mums
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Little Dorrit' are three-foot-tall chrysanthemums that are packed with an enchanting aroma from both their foliage and flowers. Although these are similar to semi-double mums because of their distinct yellow center and petal florets, these are classified as spoon chrysanthemums.
It is due to their florets that start closed but open up into funnel-like tips. This variety of chrysanthemum has intense red and gold colors that seamlessly matches other autumn blooms and grows well in USDA Zone 8.
10. ‘Mundial Peach’ Mums
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Mundials are a kind of anemone chrysanthemum, meaning that they have a raised center that’s covered in plush tiny floret buds with a spray of longer florets coming from it. These peach-tone Mundials have a delicate feminine hue that’s easy on the eyes and can provide lots of texture and dimension to your garden.
Mundials can also come in other colors such as gold, cerise, apricot, cream, rose, and coral. Another interesting fact about these multi-colored blooms is that while they need a USDA Zone 10 environment, they can thrive under any sun orientation (north, south, east, and west-facing)!
11. ‘Okura Red’ Mum
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Okura Red Chrysanthemums have a vibrant scarlet color and a bushy growth habit. These have hundreds of rusty red florets opening up around a deep maroon center. Often these Okura Reds only take a year to reach their maximum height at a foot and a half tall.
Though they sprout fragrant foliage throughout the growing season, they only bloom when autumn hits and will flourish as long as it stays in conditions similar to USDA Zone 9 environments.
12. ‘Pennine Whistle’ Mums
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Pennine Whistles are a thistle-type of chrysanthemum that has stunning bronze and yellow shades. They have a deep warm center with fine tubular floret rays spraying outwards and up. These stringy flower heads are huge and only start to bloom during the fall season.
These bushy flowers grow well in USDA Zone 9 places and love to be in moist loam, sand, and clay soil. That said, they should be sheltered in the winter while regularly receiving full sun.
13. Segetum ‘Court Jester’ Mums
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Court Jester Mums have a distinct color pattern thanks to its maroon disk and striped floret spray. Its florets are horizontally striped, forming different colored rings around the center. It includes captivating shades of orange, pink, red, yellow, and white.
This garden mum can be as tall as 1’6” and only starts to flower from late summer up until it gets too cold for them in the lead-up to winter unless you keep them in a shelter that imitates USDA Zone 8 climates.
14. Superbum Mums (Shasta Daisy)
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Shasta Daisies are a more casual term for the Chrysanthemum Superbum and prefer to stay in USDA Zone 7b conditions. This herbaceous plant's flowers have bright yellow centers and white petals of single or double florets that open out from summer to autumn.
These perennials can take a while to grow, sometimes waiting five years before they reach their maximum three-foot height. Although they’re not the fastest growers, they’re low-maintenance, incredibly hardy, and are resistant to plant diseases.
15. Fuji Mum
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A Fuji Mum is a type of spider chrysanthemum with hundreds of long tubular florets that drape at the bottom and curl at the tips. These florets can come in a wide range of colors, such as white, yellow, pink, orange, and red, and they tend to have a slight warm yellow center.
Fuji Mums can grow up to four feet tall anywhere between USDA Zones 5–9. When they start to bloom for autumn, it’s an entrancing sight to see.
Something For Everyone!
Mums are a truly special flower with a personal style for every gardener! Although this list only contains 15 options, feel free to research the other hundreds of varieties not mentioned. With this perennial under your belt, your neighbors will constantly be asking where you found them.
Caring for these plants is simple and for these show-stoppers, the work is well worth it. If given a little TLC your mums will thank you with gorgeous blooms for years to come.
So, take the risk and try out a new variety in your garden. And, if you have any tips and tricks, be sure to leave a comment below!