Flower encyclopedia

Chrysanthemum: Meaning, Culture & Care Guide

Modern florist mums are complex hybrids grown as short-day greenhouse crops so they can be produced beyond autumn.

Chrysanthemum at a glance

Florist chrysanthemums are long-lasting composite flowers with many forms — sprays, disbuds, spiders and pompoms. In the US they often signal autumn and cheer. In several European and East Asian contexts white chrysanthemums are funeral flowers. Know the recipient's culture before sending white mums as a casual gift.

Flower: Chrysanthemum
Botanical name: Chrysanthemum × morifolium
Family: Asteraceae
Colours: Yellow, White, Pink, Red
Typical season: Garden association is autumn; commercial supply is year-round.
Fragrance: Herbal to light; some people dislike the foliage scent.
Popular for: birthday, sympathy, congratulations, just-because, mothers-day
Vase life: Often well over a week — among the longest common cuts.

What is a chrysanthemum?

Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China and are the imperial flower of Japan. They reached Europe centuries later and became a florist volume crop because they last.

Garden hardy mums flower in autumn. Florist mums are available much of the year because growers control day length.

Origin: East Asia. · Habitat: Gardens and greenhouses.

What does a chrysanthemum mean?

Symbolism splits sharply by culture. In the US, mums can mean friendship, joy or autumn football-season cheer. In countries such as France, Italy and some others, chrysanthemums — especially white — are strongly associated with graves and All Saints' commemorations.

In Japan the chrysanthemum is a noble emblem. Always prefer the recipient's tradition over a generic 'flower meaning' list.

Chrysanthemum colours

Yellow

Optimism in many Western casual gifts

Often chosen for birthday, get-well

White

In some cultures, mourning — ask before gifting

Often chosen for sympathy

Pink

Gentler celebration

Often chosen for thank-you

Red

Love or well-wishing depending on culture

Often chosen for just-because

Chrysanthemum varieties

Spray chrysanthemums

Many small blooms; the everyday mixed-bouquet mum.

Disbud / standard

One large bloom per stem.

Spider and novelty forms

Unusual petal shapes for contemporary design.

When is chrysanthemum in season?

Short-day lighting control lets growers flower mums on a schedule.

USA
Football-season and Thanksgiving colour; also a year-round filler.
europe
In several countries, avoid casual white mum gifts around All Saints' / memorial dates.
UK
Common florist filler; funeral association exists but is weaker than in some continental countries.
canada
Autumn garden plant and year-round florist filler.
australia
Mother's Day in May is autumn there — mums are a traditional Australian Mother's Day flower.
UAE
Imported long-lasting filler.

Seasonal flower calendar →

How to care for chrysanthemums

Recut woody stems, strip underwater foliage, and they are relatively forgiving.

Pet safety: Chrysanthemums contain compounds that can irritate pets if ingested; they are listed as toxic by the ASPCA.

Pollen: Daisy-family pollen can bother some allergy sufferers; decorative double forms vary.

Chrysanthemums for different occasions

In Australia, chrysanthemums are a traditional Mother's Day flower because May is autumn.

birthday sympathy

Shop chrysanthemum arrangements

Browse the live catalog for bouquets and gifts that include chrysanthemums.

View chrysanthemum products

Chrysanthemum delivery

BlossomPot lists delivery destinations we actually publish. US city pages are gift-delivery destinations. Canada, Australia and Europe city pages explain how to send gifts from those cities to a US address — they are not local florist storefronts we do not operate.