Florist’s chrysanthemums are popular and widely recognized flowers, frequently seen in bouquets and garden displays. They bring beauty and versatility to many settings, making them a favored choice for florists and home gardeners.
Understanding Florist’s Chrysanthemums
Florist’s chrysanthemums are cultivars of Chrysanthemum x morifolium (also known as Dendranthema x grandiflorum), a hybrid species developed for ornamental value. They are distinguished from other chrysanthemum species often grown as garden perennials. Called “florist’s” due to extensive cultivation in controlled environments for cut flower production, they offer year-round availability. These hybrids originated in China over 2,000 years ago, where they were initially valued for medicinal properties before evolving into ornamental plants.
Key Physical Attributes
The Florist’s Chrysanthemum plant typically grows as a bushy, upright herbaceous perennial. Its sturdy stems, often one to three feet tall, support the large blooms.
The foliage consists of dark to gray-green leaves, deeply lobed and sometimes with a coarse texture or fine hairs. Leaves are arranged alternately along the stem, measuring 4 to 10 cm long by 3 to 5 cm wide. The plant often forms a dense, mounding structure before flowering. Some varieties have a subtle, herbaceous fragrance from their foliage.
Diverse Bloom Forms
Florist’s chrysanthemums showcase a remarkable array of bloom forms, each with distinct petal arrangements:
Incurved types feature petals that smoothly curve inward, forming a dense, spherical bloom. These can be perfectly rounded (regular incurves) or have lower florets creating a skirted effect (irregular incurves).
Reflexed chrysanthemums have petals that curve outward and downward, sometimes overlapping, creating a flattened or mop-like appearance.
Pompon forms are small, tightly packed, and compact globular blooms.
Anemone-type blooms feature a prominent, raised central cushion of disc florets, encircled by one or more rows of flat ray florets, giving them a daisy-like appearance.
Spider chrysanthemums have long, narrow, tubular petals that radiate outward, often coiling, hooking, or drooping at the ends, creating a unique starburst or spidery effect.
Spoon chrysanthemums have tubular petals that flare out at the tips, forming a distinct spoon shape.
Single and semi-double forms resemble daisies, displaying a visible central disc of florets surrounded by one or more rows of flat ray petals.
Color Palette and Variegation
Florist’s chrysanthemums boast an extensive and vibrant color palette, including pure whites, sunny yellows, fiery oranges, rich reds, soft pinks, and deep purples. A wide range of shades exists within each color family, from pastel hues to intensely saturated tones. Beyond solid colors, many varieties exhibit subtle variegation or striking bicolors, such as petals with contrasting tips, a gradient of color within a single floret, or distinct color shifts across the bloom.
Growth Habits and Common Uses
Florist’s chrysanthemums typically grow as bushy, upright plants. Their naturally strong stems make them well-suited for cutting. They are widely used in floral designs, including bouquets, centerpieces, and decorative displays, due to their diverse forms and long vase life. They are also popular as potted plants for seasonal decor, adding color indoors or on patios. While some varieties can be grown in gardens, florist’s types are primarily bred for cut flower attributes and may be less cold-hardy than traditional garden mums.