Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
IN THIS GUIDE
- 1) C. ‘Allouise’
- 2) C. ‘Aluga White’
- 3) C. ‘Bronze Elegance’
- 4) C. ‘Barbara’
- 5) C. ‘Cassandra’
- 6) C. ‘Debonair’
- 7) C. ‘Enbee Wedding’
- 8) C. ‘Golden Cassandra’
- 9) C. ‘Gold Mundial’
- 10) C. ‘Happy Jogger’
- 11) C. ‘Lynn’
- 12) C. ‘Mayford Perfection’
- 13) C. ‘May Shoesmith’
- 14) C. ‘Mezzo Magenta’
- 15) C. ‘Nantyderry Sunshine’
- 16) C. ‘Pennine Oriel’
- 17) C. ‘Roy Coopland’
- 18) C. ‘Sicardo Orange’
- 19) C. ‘Yellow John Hughes’
- 20) C. ‘Yogigi Gold’
- 21) C. ‘White Margaret’
There are a huge range of chrysanthemums to consider and it can be challenging to work out which varieties you should grow.
When choosing a chrysanthemum, here are some of the key things to think about:
- Hardiness – some chrysanthemums are far hardier than others.
- Bloom Time – chrysanthemums vary in length of bloom time.
- Height & Size – of the particular variety you want to grow.
- Flower Form & Colour – of the specific cultivar.
“Where you live in the UK will influence the Chrysanthemum you can grow outdoors,” adds Horticulturist Colin Skelly.
“Most are RHS hardiness rating 3 (-5-1ºC )or 4 (-10-5ºC) but some are H2 (1-5ºC), making the timing of blooming essential before the first frosts can be expected.”
To help you make up your mind, we’ve come up with this list of 21 options, all of which have been awarded the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) by the RHS.
Although this list is just a starting point, I think that the options here could be a great place to start when aiming to choose the right chrysanthemum for you and your garden.
1) C. ‘Allouise’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: pink
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer / autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: clay, loam, sand; any pH
- SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
This dramatic chrysanthemum is an H3 hardy perennial which grows up to 1.2m tall.
It has silvery-pink double flowers which are deeper pink in the centre, born in late summer and early autumn.
2) C. ‘Aluga White’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: white and yellow
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: loam; any pH
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
‘Aluga White’ is H4 hardy and has masses of white blooms with yellowish centres up to around 6cm in diameter that are borne in early autumn.
Bushy perennials, they grow to around 75cm tall.
3) C. ‘Bronze Elegance’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: bronze and orange
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: clay, loam, sand; any pH
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
H4 hardy, ‘bronze elegance’ is a Korean chrysanthemum, which has double pompon flowers 2.5cm across, in shades which range from light apricot to deep bronze, borne in autumn.
The plant grows to around 70cm in height.
4) C. ‘Barbara’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: pink
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer / autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: loam, chalk, sand; neutral pH
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This charming chrysanthemum is a compact, bushy herbaceous perennial growing to around 45cm in height.
It has vivid pinky-purple double flowers which are long-lasting through early autumn.
This option is H3 hardy.
5) C. ‘Cassandra’
- HARDINESS RATING: H2
- FLOWERS: pink and purple
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread
- SIZE: all soil types; any pH
For growing indoors from early autumn to enjoy later blooms inside your home, this is one interesting option.
H2 hardy, it flowers in late autumn, with pink double flowers with incurving florets, which grow to around 14cm across.
6) C. ‘Debonair’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: pink and purple
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: all soil types; any pH
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This compact chrysanthemum is H3 hardy and grows to around 30cm in height.
It produces sprays of rosy pink florets, pale pink on the reverse, which are around 5cm across.
The double flower heads have overlapping recurved ray florets, born in autumn.
7) C. ‘Enbee Wedding’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: yellow and pink
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: clay, loam, sand; any pH
- SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
The excellent ‘Enbee Wedding’ range offers a selection of cultivars in different colours.
They grow to around 1.2m in height and are H3 hardy.
8) C. ‘Golden Cassandra’
- HARDINESS RATING: H2
- FLOWERS: yellow
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): all soil types; any pH
- SOIL PREFERENCE: all soil types; any pH
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This indoor chrysanthemum is H2 hardy.
It is a tender perennial which has 13cm wide flowers of a lovely golden yellow hue, with florets which are recurved and paler on the reverse.
9) C. ‘Gold Mundial’
- HARDINESS RATING: H2
- FLOWERS: yellow
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: all soil types; any pH
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread
This charming chrysanthemum is a tender (H2) perennial with flower heads that have protruding domes at the centre formed by inner florets.
This is a free-flowering spray chrysanthemum with cherry-gold centres and florets of dull gold, which are paler on the reverse.
This plant flowers in the autumn.
10) C. ‘Happy Jogger’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: pink and purple
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: loam; any pH
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This compact H3 hardy chrysanthemum has vibrant deep pink to purple flowers which are borne from early autumn.
It grows to around 50cm high.
11) C. ‘Lynn’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: purple
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: all soil types; any pH
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This half-hardy option has lilac florets, fading to a deeper purple-pink within the centre, and purple colouration on the reverse.
It is bushy, with a compact growth habit.
This is one of the Reflexed Charm groups of Chrysanthemums.
It flowers in autumn.
12) C. ‘Mayford Perfection’
- HARDINESS RATING: H2
- FLOWERS: orange
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: all soil types; any pH
- SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
This is a large flowering indoor chrysanthemum, which has large, fully double, loosely spherical flowers in a delightful salmon-orange hue.
A late flowering type, it produces blooms from late autumn and is H2 hardy.
13) C. ‘May Shoesmith’
- HARDINESS RATING: H2
- FLOWERS: white
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: all soil types; any pH
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
Another large-flowered indoor type that is H2 hardy, this chrysanthemum has double, loosely spherical flowering heads, which are white and up to around 13.5cm across.
The plant grows to around 85cm in height.
14) C. ‘Mezzo Magenta’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: pink
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: loam; neutral pH
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
‘Mezzo Magenta’ is naturally compact and bushy, growing around 30cm tall and bearing an abundance of pinky-purple, double flowers from early autumn.
It is H3 hardy.
15) C. ‘Nantyderry Sunshine’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: yellow and orange
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: clay, loam, sand; any pH
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This H4 hardy chrysanthemum is an early flowering, outdoor, semi-pom pom type.
This herbaceous perennial grows to around 90cm tall and is compact and bushy in form.
Little flowers, 3cm wide, are a cheery bright yellow and the inner florets are tipped with a deeper orange-yellow hue.
16) C. ‘Pennine Oriel’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: yellow and cream
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: clay, loam, sand; any pH
- SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
H3 hardy, this perennial is 1.2m in height, with white-cream flowers 8cm across which are borne in early autumn.
The disk florets are tipped with light yellowy colouration.
17) C. ‘Roy Coopland’
- HARDINESS RATING: H2
- FLOWERS: bronze
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: all soil types; any pH
- SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This tender chrysanthemum is an indoor type.
It has dramatic bronze flowers which can grow to 15cm across, and the florets, which open from late autumn, are a light greenish-yellow at the bottom and paler on the reverse.
18) C. ‘Sicardo Orange’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: bronze, red and orange
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: loam; neutral pH
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This compact and rounded herbaceous perennial grows to around 50cm tall.
It is H3 hardy and bears an abundance of double flowers in the autumn.
The flowers have deep dark red to bronze inner florets and paler outer ones in orange hues.
19) C. ‘Yellow John Hughes’
- HARDINESS RATING: H2
- FLOWERS: yellow
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: all soil types; any pH
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread
This remarkable tender, medium-flowered, indoor chrysanthemum has light yellow, spherical flowers 9cm across which are borne from late autumn.
20) C. ‘Yogigi Gold’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: yellow and gold
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer / autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: loam; any pH
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This H3 hardy chrysanthemum is a compact and upright plant that branches freely.
It has golden-yellow flowers which are borne in abundance in the late summer and early autumn.
21) C. ‘White Margaret’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: yellow and white
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SOIL PREFERENCE: clay, loam, sand; any pH
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This half-hardy perennial has lovely white flowers which grow to around 7cm in diameter.
These flowers are yellow-tinged to the interior, with white reverses tipped with yellow.
As mentioned above, any list can only ever be highly selective, but the options on this list are all certainly interesting chrysanthemum options for you to consider.
