Chrysanthemums: Fall Flowers That Bring Beauty Each Year

Chrysanthemums²: Fall Flowers That Bring Beauty Each Year

As the weather turns colder in some parts of the world, signs of autumn begin to appear. The leaves of some trees turn bright shades of red, yellow, and orange.

At this time of the year depending on your location, you may also see a familiar flower: chrysanthemums. We often call them "mums," for short.

In parts of the United States, many people use chrysanthemums as decorations. The flowers sit next to pumpkins⁴ for Halloween, October's famous holiday. But then the mums are thrown away along with rotting jack⁵ o' lanterns.

This yearly tradition bothered plant expert Jessica Damiano. In a recent article for the Associated Press, she wanted to know why people simply threw away their mums. So, she asked some of her neighbors in Long Island, New York.

Everyone had the same answer: They thought the flowers were annuals -- flowers that only last for one season.

Damiano explained that there are annual and perennial⁶ mums. Perennials⁷ come back for several growing seasons. Garden chrysanthemums, she adds, are actually perennials. Annual chrysanthemums are often sold in stores as potted gift plants. Special plant stores usually sell perennial mums.

If the plants are not labeled at a store, Damiano said to look at the leaves. The large, flat leaves of perennial mums have deep cuts around the edges. The narrow leaves of annuals do not.

Perennial mums are hardy⁸ flowers. But they cannot survive freezing temperatures. They also cannot survive extreme summer heat. So, that means about half of the United States is good for growing mums.

Perennial chrysanthemums, Damiano said, come from China. Kaifeng, a city in China's Henan province, is famous for its mums. Each year, the city holds a popular festival to celebrate the flowers. Chrysanthemum¹ festivals are also held in other countries -- like Pakistan, Germany, South Korea, Japan, and the United States, to name a few.

Chrysanthemums come in shades of orange, red, rust⁹, pink, purple, yellow, cream, and white. Some can grow to nearly one meter in height. They reach their mature size in about three years. In warmer climates, they bloom again in spring.

Planting tips

Here are some chrysanthemum planting tips.

Plant mums in well-draining soil. And plant them as early in the season as possible. Spring is the best time -- if you can find them at plant stores. In the United States, that can be difficult.

Damiano said she has done well with fall plantings. But that might not work if temperatures drop below freezing within six to eight weeks of planting. So, she added, there is a risk.

Adding compost to the soil improves drainage. It is also a good idea to set the plant into the ground at the same depth as it was growing in its container.

Make sure there is enough space between plants to prevent crowding. Planting the mums too close together can lead to mold, mildew¹⁰, and fungal diseases. If plants become overgrown, separate them in spring after new growth appears.

Mums grow best in full sun with moist soil. So, do not let the soil dry out. It is also a good idea to fertilize¹¹ them regularly. The flowers are heavy feeders.

Put mulch around the plants to help keep up the soil moisture and keep out unwanted plants. Add more mulch after the ground has frozen. This protects roots from freezing then warming then freezing again.

When plants stop growing, leave them in the garden over the winter. The above-ground plant matter, although dry, will help to further protect roots. Cut back the dry plant matter in spring after new growth emerges.

Starting in their third year, cut back one-third of the plants' growth three times per season: at the beginning and middle of June and again during the first week of July. Do not worry if you remove small flower buds. This will lead to more blooms and create fuller, bushier plants.

If chrysanthemums are not hardy in your zone, you can still enjoy them.

Potted mums do not do well in the heat. So, do not buy them in late summer. They will survive better and longer if you wait until temperatures cool.

With potted mums, move them inside overnight if temperatures drop to freezing. Water thoroughly¹² when the soil dries out. But again, do not let the plants stay dry for too long. The plants should remain alive until spring, when you can bring them back outdoors.

Do the same in warmer climates. Damiano warns that when spring or summer temperatures get too hot – between 27 and 31 degrees Celsius¹³ -- bring the plants indoors. Do not bring them outdoors again until things cool down in autumn.

Words in This Story

shade – n. the darkness or lightness of a color

decoration – n. something that decorates or beautifies

jack o' lantern – n. a lantern made of a pumpkin³ usually cut to resemble a human face

garden – n. a plot of ground where herbs, fruits, flowers, or vegetables are grown

label – v. a slip (as of paper or cloth) that is attached to something to identify or describe it : to name or describe with or as if with a label

hardy – adj. able to survive unfavorable conditions (as of weather)

bloom – n. the flowering state

compost – n. a mixture largely of decayed matter of once living things (as grass) or their products (as coffee grinds) and used for fertilizing¹⁴ and conditioning land

moist – adj. slightly or moderately wet

mulch – n. a covering (as of straw or sawdust) spread over the ground to protect the roots of plants from heat, cold, or evaporation, prevent soil loss, control weeds, enrich the soil, or keep fruit (as strawberries) clean

1 chrysanthemum   

n.菊，菊花

参考例句：

• Each mourner wore a black armband and a white paper chrysanthemum.每个吊唁的人都佩带着黑纱和一朵白纸菊花。
• There are many species of chrysanthemum.菊花品种很多。

2 chrysanthemums   

n.菊花( chrysanthemum的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The cold weather had most deleterious consequences among the chrysanthemums. 寒冷的天气对菊花产生了极有害的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The chrysanthemums are in bloom; some are red and some yellow. 菊花开了， 有红的，有黄的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 pumpkin   

n.南瓜

参考例句：

• They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
• It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你！

4 pumpkins   

n.南瓜( pumpkin的名词复数 )；南瓜的果肉，南瓜囊

参考例句：

• I like white gourds, but not pumpkins. 我喜欢吃冬瓜，但不喜欢吃南瓜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put lights inside. 然后在南瓜上刻出一张脸，并把瓜挖空。 来自英语晨读30分（高三）

5 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

6 perennial   

adj.终年的；长久的

参考例句：

• I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
• There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。

7 perennials   

n.多年生植物( perennial的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Name six perennials and six annuals suitable for indoor flower arrangement. 列出多年生及一年生花朵各六种，它们必须是适合插花的。 来自互联网
• Herbage can be divided into three categories: annuals, biennials, and perennials. 草本植物可分成一年生、二年生和多年生。 来自互联网

8 hardy   

adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的

参考例句：

• The kind of plant is a hardy annual.这种植物是耐寒的一年生植物。
• He is a hardy person.他是一个能吃苦耐劳的人。

9 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。

10 mildew   

n.发霉；v.（使）发霉

参考例句：

• The interior was dark and smelled of mildew.里面光线很暗，霉味扑鼻。
• Mildew may form in this weather.这种天气有可能发霉。

11 fertilize   

v.使受精，施肥于，使肥沃

参考例句：

• Fertilizer is a substance put on land to fertilize it.肥料是施在地里使之肥沃的物质。
• Reading will fertilize his vocabulary.阅读会丰富他的词汇。

12 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

13 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

14 fertilizing   

v.施肥( fertilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Sometimes the preliminary step must be taken of reducing weed population before fertilizing. 有时候，在施肥之前，必须采取减少杂草密度的预备性步骤。 来自辞典例句
• The self fertilizing garden can also be planted in raised beds. 自我施肥的菜园也可以在苗圃床中种植。 来自互联网