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Chrysanthemums, nicknamed “mums,” are one of fall’s quintessential flowers. They’re usually the last plant to bloom before frost, ushering your garden into the big sleep of winter with a last bang of color.
What kind of flower is a mum?
Chrysanthemums, or mums, are a staple in fall gardens. Mums are a national symbol of fall abundance, and this herbaceous and hardy perennial is an easy addition to give a gorgeous pop of color in your fall garden landscape.
What does the flower mum stand for?
A white chrysanthemum is a symbol of loyalty and devoted love. In general, chrysanthemums are believed to represent happiness, love, longevity and joy.
Is a mum flower a annual or perennial?
Though technically perennials, mums are often grown as annuals owing to shallow root systems inclined to heave right out of the ground during winter’s freeze-thaw cycles.
Do mum flowers come back?
Because people often think that mums (formally called Chrysanthemums) are at best a finicky perennial, many gardeners treat them as annuals, but this doesn’t have to be the case. With just a little winter care for mums, these fall beauties can come back year after year.
What is the center of a mum called?
These plants grow tall and form large, ball-like blossoms. Petals are packed into the flowers and curve toward the flower center—which is why they’re called incurve types.
What are mums good for?
Chrysanthemum (mum) is a plant. It gets its name from the Greek words for “gold” and “flower.” People use the flowers to make medicine. Chrysanthemum is used to treat chest pain (angina), high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, fever, cold, headache, dizziness, and swelling.
What do mums mean in Texas?
A Texas tradition A mum is a large arrangement of ribbons, bells, charms, and a button sewn together and designed to be worn pinned to a woman’s dress or – if it gets too big – around a woman’s neck.
Is a mum the same as a chrysanthemum?
The term “mum” is short for chrysanthemum, and this plant is the largest commercially grown flower in the U.S., known as the “Queen of Fall Flowers,” according to FTD.
What do homecoming mums represent?
Homecoming mums represent both high school football, commonly referred to as a “religion” in Texas. They also represent the importance of dating and relationships in high school life. The Homecoming celebration as we know it today can be traced back a century to the University of Missouri.
Do garden mums come back every year?
You will have some buds on them by then, but don’t worry. They will grow back and your plant won’t look dead in the middle.” Many people buy mums in the fall thinking the plants are annuals. But if you buy hardy mums, you can get them to bloom year after year.
Can mums survive the winter in pots?
Mums can survive light frosts and cold fairly easy, but a hard freeze can kill roots in pots permanently. Once potted mums have endured a hard freeze, their chances for surviving winter are slim. Cut mums back to within a few inches of the soil line before bringing indoors.
Can potted mums be planted in the ground?
Technically, however, they can be planted in your garden any time before the first frost of fall. This means you can try removing the mums from your pot and planting them in the ground in the fall. Plant them at the same depth as they were in the pot and water them thoroughly after planting.
Can mums live indoors?
Indoor Mum Care: Growing Chrysanthemums Indoors. Growing chrysanthemums indoors is easy and requires little special care beyond watering, good soil and drainage. Once the blooms are spent, you can keep the plant around for its deeply etched foliage.
How do you take care of outdoor mums?
Caring for outdoor mums Give mums plenty of space. It’s wise to plant your mums about 18 inches from other plants so their roots have room to expand. Water, but not too much. Deadhead. In colder climates your mums may need to be mulched using leaves, wood chips, or straw. If frost gets your mums, don’t fret.
What is a Pelee mum?
‘Pelee’ is a garden mum which bears single flowers in russet-red. Chrysanthemum is made up of both annuals, and perennials and are best known for their showy flowers. There are twelve different flowerhead forms which distinguish the different chrysanthemums.
Are mums just a Texas thing?
Mums, it turns out, are a very specific tradition, popular only in Texas (and parts of Oklahoma) and are huge, ginormous corsages.
Are marigolds and mums the same thing?
Mari-mums are large-flower marigolds, known botanically as Tagetes erecta, that are reminiscent of chrysanthemums. Mari-mums or the marigolds, if you will, typically produce flowers before chrysanthemums and are still blooming when frost actually takes them out.
Can mums survive on covered porch?
If you love your pot mums and can’t live without them, the best plan is to keep them in pots and keep them out of the rain. The perfect place for pot mums is on the covered porch, under an overhang or anywhere else you can keep them away from rain and soil.