Ryan’s Pink Chrysanthemum, A Cottage Garden Classic

If you haven’t added this to your cottage garden, move it to the top of your list!

Ryan’s Pink Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum x morifolium) aka The Florist’s Chrysanthemum has been a reliable perennial here at The Gardeners Green for 15 years. This is an old-fashioned chrysanthemum that rambles through the bed and billows up over our picket fence verses the ones that are commonly found at local grocery store that are pot bound.

The blooms are amazing and give two distinct color phases – they start off with a crisp white daisy-like bloom and then it blushes pink. The blooms have at least a ten day vase life, making it perfect for floral arranging.

Here in Charleston, SC (zone 9a) blooms arrive mid-October just when the garden is in need of a boost. This chrysanthemum will not disappoint!

A few takeaway tips:

• Plant in well-amended garden bed that has room for it to spread at least 30”x30”.

• They need full sun and well draining soil

• Cut back by half in July, if you want a showy appearance in Fall or to help control height.

• It will take 2 -3 years to establish and fill out. The first year it will be scrappy it will grow out of this phase. As it spreads weed to keep in scale.

• Propagate by division every 5 years to encourage vigor.