Learn / Ask The Landscape Professional
This time of year, I see Mums for sale all over and I love them, but for some reason after I plant them in the ground, I never can get them to survive the winter. - Catherine, Old Lyme
Answer
There are actually two kinds of Chrysanthemums,
(nicknamed "mums"): "Hardy Mums" and
"Greenhouse or Florist" Mums. Most of the mums
that you see for sale in the box stores and florist
shops in the fall are "greenhouse or florist" mums
that are not intended to survive the winter. They
are basically pricy annuals. Greenhouse or florist
mums have been grown to put all of their energy
into September blooming and not developing their
roots. When you plant them in the ground in the fall,
there generally isn't enough time for them to establish
a root system to survive the winter. Then, with
the winter freeze and thaw cycles, often times they
get popped out of the ground and the roots die. If
you want mums as perennials, look for ones that
are labeled "Hardy" and plant them in the spring
for best results. You can also grow them from seed
over the winter and plant them in the spring.
Mums have been around for centuries. As far
back as the 15th Century BC, they were being cultivated
as an herb in China. Since then they have
been hybridized into hundreds of varieties. Mums
made their way to this country in colonial times and today have become the most widely
produced pot plant in the United States because they are so easy to grow.
A lot of mum varieties are full of petals and do not have much pollen, so they are not
much use to butterflies and bees. Asters are my favorite choice for fall color. They come
in blues, purples, white and pinks and they are a wonderful perennial that are great for
the pollinators and will winter-over well. Give them a try.
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About Linda Lillie
Linda K. Lillie is the President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc, the premier
landscape design and maintenance, tree care, lawn care, stonework, and carpentry
service provider in southeastern Connecticut since 1997. She is a graduate of
Connecticut College in Botany, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national
award winning landscape designer for her landscape design and landscape installation work.
