Chrysanthemum

Botanical name: Chrysanthemum Morifolium

Common name: Mum, chrys', pompom, spider, disbud.

 

The Chrysanthemum flower, or 'mum' as us florist's like to call it, is the flower that symbolises Mother's Day. Not only are they offered in a large array of varieties and colours, their longevity for vase life outlives many others. 

Here at Pearsons we use these both in the classroom and the florist. They have year round availability and offer strong stems perfect for a number of different uses. 

In the last few years the explosion of new colour varieties (both natural and dyed) has boomed in popularity, and we are constantly seeing these flowers light up our social media feeds. 

With this being said let's discuss this ever popular flower!

Origin:

They are native to Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia.

What to look for:

Buy spray's when the most advanced flower on the spray is fully open and is beginning to produce pollen. Buy pompoms when the 'tuft' appears i.e. when centra petals are no longer sticking together. Look for clean, undamaged flowers and foliage - yellow foliage is the first sign of ageing. Make sure the woody base of the stem is not remaining.

Care tips:

Recut 2cm off the stems with sharp scissors, making usre you remove the woody basal part of the stem. Strip any leaves that would be underwater as leaves go limp and rot easily.

Fun fact:

The name “chrysanthemum” is derived from the Greek words chrysos (gold) and anthemon (flower).