Colorful Mums for Home

If you’ve ever wondered about whether mums are annuals or perennials, the answer is, they’re both! Mums generally come in two types: Florist mums (also known as cutting mums) and hardy mums (also known as garden mums).

When fall arrives, some of the showiest summer blooms, such as pompon dahlias, Shasta daisies, African daisies, zinnias, coreopsis, and calendulas, fade away. But the late season garden offers all these flower shapes from just one plant: the chrysanthemum. Available in dozens of exciting varieties, mums bloom for weeks, and the sheer number of brightly colored flowers per plant will leave no doubt as to why mums are such a favorite for filling porch pots and flower beds once other blooming plants start winding down. Here’s what you need to know to grow and care for fall mums that are sure to liven up your landscape until winter sets in