Brighten Up Fall With Garden Mums

18 September 2025, written by Barbara Pleasant

We’re all feeling a bit sad to see summer slipping away, but autumn days get better in the company of chrysanthemums. For not much money, potted mums purchased on the brink of bloom provide instant color that lasts for weeks. Garden mums also make fantastic cut flowers, with blossoms in a vase sometimes lasting longer than those on the plants.

Chrysanthemum petals in a bowl — Chrysanthemum flowers floating in water make a talking point as a table centerpiece

What are Garden Mums?

There are several different types of chrysanthemums, which have been cultivated in China for 3,000 years. Large-flowered mums and potted mums from florists’ shops are tender perennials that require exacting care over a long season, while garden mums have been bred to do only one thing – put on a great show of intense autumn color. Extensive breeding work has resulted in vegetatively propagated varieties that are grown from rooted cuttings started in early summer, as soon as the weather warms. Plenty of sun, nutrients and water result in beautiful blooming plants just in time for fall.

Care of Garden Mums

Chrysanthemum petals are more than 83 percent water, so the main weakness of garden mums is their constant thirst. Plants grown in plastic pots are usually rootbound, and should they dry out too much, they may need to be dunked in a bucket of water to rehydrate them. You don’t need to pot up garden mums, but slipping them into larger pots with a bit of soil at the bottom and around the sides of the root ball will make them easier to water.

Other than water, garden mums don’t require feeding or other special care. Should the blooms become so dense that the flowers seem to be smushed, clip out a few excess stems and bring them indoors to use as cut flowers.

Cut flower arrangment with chrysanthemums — Small bronze mums are combined with goldenrod and blue sea holly in a ceramic pumpkin

Using Garden Chrysanthemums as Cut Flowers

You need no special talents to show off chrysanthemums as cut flowers. Trimming blossoms to 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) stems and floating them in a bowl of water creates a vibrant table centerpiece, or you can make actual arrangements in vases or decorative ceramic pieces.

Garden mums have so many bud-bearing stems that harvesting a few to use as cut flowers actually benefits the plants. Clipping off stems at the soil line from the heavy side of a plant relieves overcrowding and can help bring a lopsided plant into balance.

Once cut, remove lower leaves and snip out small green buds before letting the mums rest in cool water for a while. Meanwhile, wander your garden for clippings you might want to use, which can include weed tops, grasses, or pinched pieces from coleus, evergreen shrubs or even houseplants. With long-lasting mums as feature flowers, even small arrangements in jelly jars look great.

Yellow chrysanthemum — Organically grown yellow or white chrysanthemums can be dried and brewed into tea

Are Garden Chrysanthemums Edible?

Yes and no. Teas made from the dried blossoms of yellow or white chrysanthemums have been enjoyed in Asia for thousands of years, and they can provide phytonutrients that support good health. Chrysanthemum tea may be helpful in managing high blood pressure, and it is a recommended remedy for a hangover.

Should you wish to gather and dry chrysanthemum flowers for teas, it is best to use only blossoms from plants grown in healthy organic soil. Commercial growers of potted garden mums no longer use growth regulators, but should they face an outbreak of aphids or thrips, they might use any of a number of agricultural chemicals that could leave toxic residues. Flowers do not have the same restrictions as food when it comes to pesticides.

Chrysanthemums in the snow — Garden-grown chrysanthemums can often sit out cold weather but bring potted mums inside

Keeping Garden Mums Through Winter

Garden mums are not rated for cold hardiness, but most can withstand winter temperatures to about 10°F (-12°C) provided they are well rooted and mulched. But rootbound potted mums are not equipped for winter survival, so it’s a better idea to let them spend their dormant season in a cool garage or basement. Cut back plants by half to reduce their water needs, and water lightly every few weeks to keep the soil from drying out.

About a month before your last frost date, put the potted plants in a sunny spot and water them well. Watch for the emergence of little green sprouts from the base, the sign that the plant has made it. Clip off the rest of the old growth and move the plant to the garden. You can root cuttings from the mother plant when they are 3 inches (7.5 cm) long to increase your supply of bright garden mums.