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Chrysanthemums are a wide and diverse Genus comprising of many species, majority of which originate from East Asia, predominantly China where they have been cherished as a plant for over 500 Years. The term CHRYSANTHEMUM in ancient Greek means Gold Flower. “Chrysos” is gold and ” anthos” for flower.

Often our first thought of the Chrysanthemum relates to the ‘pot mum’ or the large blooms of the florists Chrysanthemum, both of which are not easy or suitable garden plants. Woottens grows what is commonly called ‘The Hardy Chrysanthemum’, a range of hybrids suitable for the border, flowering late in the season and are easily overwintered outside.

Michael Loftus writes:

‘Why are people snobbish about hardy chrysanthemums? For me they are essential, cottage garden plants, filling the garden with colour from September through to December. Perhaps it is the association with florists Chrysanthemums, those impossibly heavy headed monsters in hard white or searing yellow, that makes people disdain their lovely garden counterparts. The rich warm colours of their flowers make them my favorite autumnal cut-flower. They are so vigorous and generous with their blooms you can pick them in great armfuls for the house. I love my Chrysanthemums best planted in the vegetable garden between the rows of red cabbages! Chrysanthemums are easy trouble free plants and the bees and butterflies love them’

The nursery grows over 20 different forms from elegant single flowering varieties to more sumptuous double and pom pom varieties.

Care Notes

Chrysanthemums like rich soil and reasonable moisture. They must have full sun and are best not planted in frost pockets, as this will drastically truncate their flowering season in a cold autumn. Chrysanthemums clump up readily and can be lifted and divided in early spring. To encourage more compact plants, better clothed with foliage, cut Chrysanthemums to half their height in early June.
At the same time I remove all weak and spindly canes. This does not delay their flowering and results in much sturdier plants.

You can have different varieties in flower throughout August, September and October and many later flowering varieties will in a sheltered spot still be in flower in November.

Chrysanthemums attract bees and butterflies.

Plants are sent out from May to July in 9cm or 1.3L pots. We propagate many Chrysanthemums to order therefore we recommend ordering before February to receive plants that year.