Peerless Chrysanthemums: Plant Features, Varieties and Care

The bright colors that adorn the garden of chrysanthemums are able to please the eye all summer until late autumn. At this time, other ornamental garden plants usually finish their flowering.

The unusual bitter aroma of colorful flowers distinguishes this plant from others. Lush chrysanthemums can be grown both in the greenhouse and outdoors in the garden.

Garden chrysanthemums have several names, for example Chrysanthemum or Dendronthema. They belong to the family of asters or asteraceae. Literally, the name translates as “flower-sun” or “gold-colored”. This name owes its origin to the fact that most varieties have a bright yellow color of petals.

Varieties of this plant are divided by:

• bush form;
• bush height;
• the color of the petals;
• terry petals;
• size of flowers;
• type of inflorescences;
• flowering period.

The height of plants varies from 35 cm to 150 cm. The color scheme is also very extensive:

• yellow;
• pink;
• white
• green
• reds;
• orange.

In addition, these colors can be divided into shades on the same bush.

The first chrysanthemums became known to man in ancient times. They came to us from the Far East. It is believed that this plant was the first to be cultivated in China. There it was grown in pots already 3,000 years ago.

Arachnid varieties were domesticated first. They were used for the manufacture of medical devices and in cooking. Confucius himself mentioned this in his treatises. Later they began to grow only for the decorative effect that these unique bushes possess.

Chrysanthemum for the Chinese is surrounded by magical mystery. A lot of beliefs are connected with it.

In 1802, already in Europe, the genus of chrysanthemums replenished with a dozen new varieties. In addition to large-flowered species, bush plants used in landscaping have also become popular with us.

Shear elite varieties of chrysanthemums are distinguished by larger inflorescences. The symmetrical structure of the flower and harmoniously arranged petals are complemented by bright fresh green foliage. The color of such plants is brighter and more saturated.

Potted chrysanthemums are simpler in shape. They look like small bushes dotted with small inflorescences. Moreover, any of the varieties during flowering looks amazing and captivates the eye.

The task of a competent gardener is to choose varieties of chrysanthemums so that the end of flowering of one of them coincides with the beginning of flowering of the other. Then the garden will be full of bright spots for a long time.

According to some reports, there are now about 30 species of chrysanthemums. Mostly they are distributed in the northern and temperate zones, as well as in most of Asia.

The most famous modern type of garden chrysanthemum was the result of the crossing of two species, originally from Asia. This chrysanthemum is small-flowered and large-flowered.

Another assumption is that the ancestors of garden chrysanthemum were Indian small-flowered varieties and Chinese chrysanthemum. Moreover, the breeding of new varieties of this amazing flower continues to this day.

One of the classifications of this type of plant is its division into perennial and annual. You can also note grassy varieties and shrubs.

The roots of such plants have a branched structure and usually spread parallel to the surface of the earth. On the shoots of some varieties, one may notice pubescence. All the rest have bare cuttings.

Chrysanthemum leaves can be considered unusual, as their shape is very diverse. In nature, you can find notched, dissected, jagged varieties. They can also be pubescent.

Different countries have their own classification systems for chrysanthemums.Some of them are common and worth reading.

Differentiation by size is presented in two categories:

1. by the size of the flower;
2. the height of the bush.

Large-flowered varieties have a flower diameter of up to 25 cm. Its height can reach 120 cm. Such species are characterized by various forms of inflorescences. Usually they are grown for cutting, since such a flower is not able to winter in the ground. But modern breeders have already presented several options devoid of such a drawback.

Among the most popular varieties:

1. Anastasia Green;
2. Zembla Lilak;
3. Tom Pierce.

To the middle-flowering class include decorative varieties. The maximum possible diameter of such a flower reaches 18 cm with a bush height of 70 cm. The use of such varieties is most diverse: they can be cut or grown in pots and flower beds.

This variety includes:

1. Splashes of champagne;
2. The Golden Fleece;
3. Pink daisy

Korean small-colored chrysanthemum is unpretentious and frost-resistant. In common people such varieties are called "oak trees". The plant bush can reach up to 120 cm in height. In this case, inflorescences grow only up to 10 cm in diameter. These varieties are perennial and are able to live on any soil for up to 4 years.

The most famous varieties in this classification can be considered chrysanthemums:

1. Etna;
2. Slavyanochka;
3. Multiflora.

There are other criteria for classifying a plant. For example, according to the shape of inflorescences of chrysanthemums are divided into:

 

According to the timing of flowering, chrysanthemums are divided into early, medium flowering and late varieties. There are a number of classifications, thanks to which the gardener or landscape designer will be able to choose the most suitable variety for this type of breeding.

Unpretentious chrysanthemum easily tolerates most varieties of soil composition. A more important issue will be the position of the flower pot or flowerbed. Good sunshine and drained land are of paramount importance in the cultivation of this flower.

Regular top dressing has a good effect on the appearance of the plant. The optimal regime will be when one general feeding occurs at the beginning of the season. After this, you can spend a few more fertilizing with a high content of potassium during the setting of buds. Do not overdo it with fertilizers, because instead of bright colors you can get long and weak greens.

Tall chrysanthemum varieties may need a garter. To do this, metal rods or wire structures are suitable.

Watering the chrysanthemum should be plentiful, since a lack of moisture affects the appearance of a flowering plant. The best option would be rain or standing water, in which a few drops of ammonia are added. Leaves should be protected from water, everything needs to be poured directly under the root.

After watering, the soil should be loosened, weeds removed. A useful procedure is to mulch the soil around the bush.

Proper care of chrysanthemum is not difficult even for a novice gardener. The result of such care will be bright flowers that will decorate the garden, lawn or window sill of a flower lover for a long time.