Mums the Word. As a child, when I heard this phrase, it usually meant you had been given some information, couldn’t share with anyone, and was often accompanied with a threat of sorts. In this case, I hope this topic reaches as many people as possible. What I’m referring to is the common garden mum or chrysanthemum.

Chrysanthemums or mums are highly marketed plants for fall color around Halloween to Thanksgiving and rightfully so as their colors are second to none. From grocery stores to garden centers to hardware stores they are everywhere. For this reason, I feel they are mistreated as short-lived, throw-away, seasonal color when in fact they have much to offer to the garden.

Landscapers and serious gardeners will know this, but mums are perennial, meaning they will die back in the winter and return in the spring. There is an abundance of colors ranging from white, yellow, orange, pink, red, bronze, burgundy and purple. They love full sun but can tolerate partial shade.  They easily spread and bloom multiple times throughout the year.

Several years ago, I planted a number of white mums for a fall wedding. After the event was over, I was asked what will happen to them. Would they just die and then we pull them out?  After explaining they were perennials and could provide more color the next year, the decision was made to keep them. I’ve seen 3 bloom cycles in a season. Shear or dead head them to encourage more blooms. Each year they can grow and spread into a larger clump.

I’ve seen a great deal of money spent on other plants that will only provide a single season of color. I hope this inspires people to see it as more than just a throwaway plant and to include it more thoughtfully into their gardens. Even if you don’t have the space, consider giving them to a friend or family member who can plant them in their garden and enjoy them for years to come.

Smith County Master Gardeners are volunteer educators certified and coordinated by the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service.

David Covey
Smith County Master Gardener