Sonia Uyterhoeven is the NYBG’s Gardener for Public Education.

Korean mums were first hybridized (bred) in Connecticut in the 1930s by a nurseryman named Alex Cummings. He was working on hybridizing cold-hardy varieties that would flourish in New England temperatures. A tall plant–a wild species he mistakenly identified as Chrysanthemum coreanum–fell into his hands and the results were the lavish Korean mums you see planted today in both our Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Garden and the Home Gardening Center.

The chrysanthemum that Cummings was working with turned out to be Chrysanthemum sibiricum, a wild mum with white-pink daisies, vigorous growth, and good branching. This species is also native to Korea, so the popular name of “Korean mum” is correct. Korean hybrids tend to be four feet tall with spectacular, daisy-like flowers that come in a wide range of colors, from pale yellow and dusty pink to burnt-orange and fiery red.

At The New York Botanical Garden, we have a selection program for the Korean mums. Each year we grow a wide variety of Korean mums in a kaleidoscope of colors. In the Perennial Garden, we group them as separate colors–a selection of red mums in the hot room, pink in the cool room–paired beautifully with fall shrubs and perennials to create vibrant autumnal displays.
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Celebrating the subdued hues of fall at the Garden, one color at at time.

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Celebrating the subdued hues of fall at the Garden, one color at at time.

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Mums and Japanese Anemones in Fall Flowers of Japan

We are celebrating the fall this year with Fall Flowers of Japan in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. As you walk into the Conservatory  you are greeted by color, ranging from the blues and purples of gentians, to the autumnal bronzes, yellows, and reds of chrysanthemums.

Texture and form abound; the orchid-like flowers of toad lilies (Tricyrtis) are speckled, Japanese anemones (Anemone) feature cup-shaped flowers and fuzzy seed heads, and Japanese burnet (Sanguisorba) provide height with their burgundy bottle brush spires.

For the opening weekend I conducted a demonstration on how to recreate a little piece of Fall Flowers of Japan at home in the form of a fall container display or border. Today I am going to share some of my favorite plants for making a display of this nature with you.

See Sonia’s picks for creating your own Fall Flowers of Japan at home below.

I was in the Conservatory yesterday giving a tour of Fall Flowers of Japan and kiku, and we all agreed that these gorgeous, enormous chrysanthemums look like a sky full of little fluffy clouds. What do you think?

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

Belgian mum 'Cockatoo'

Weather generally has the upper hand when it comes to gardening. There are lots of things we can do to foster the care of our plants, but ultimately we end up at the mercy of Mother Nature. This year was no exception. The New York-area had a wet spring, baking hot July with no sign of rain, and then a record-breaking, near-constant deluge in August.

And now we’re seeing the effect of this weird weather around the Garden; many of our fall bloomers are one to two weeks behind schedule, most notably our late September rose display and our chrysanthemums. It has also been a lousy year for tomatoes.

In July, when the temperatures rose into the high 90s and we lacked any rain, our plants responded by shutting down. This is a protective response which helps them survive difficult times. If the plants had continued to push growth under these conditions they would have lost too much moisture and wasted a dangerous amount of energy. In this respect, plants are just like people; they get sluggish and slow down in the heat.

Learn how to get amazing color in your fall garden with hardy mums below.

Class 11 Spider chrysanthemum in the Nolen Greenhouses, 2010

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 5, the mesmerizing art of kiku returns to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory as part of Fall Flowers of Japan. These Japanese chrysanthemums, trained into a dizzying array of styles and displays, are not to be missed. In anticipation, we’re taking an in-depth look at these fascinating flowers.

Learn all about the beautiful Spider, Brush and Thistle, and Unusual chrysanthemums below.

Shino-tsukuri display of kiku in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory Courtyard, 2008

There are only three more days before the beautiful kiku join the serene Fall Flowers of Japan in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. On Wednesday, October 5, these specially trained Japanese chrysanthemums, or kiku will go on display. In anticipation, we’re taking an in-depth look at these fascinating flowers.

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A Class 9 chrysanthemum 'Trendy Time,' 2009

On Wednesday, October 5, dozens of Japanese chrysanthemums, or kiku, trained into a variety of styles and displays will join Fall Flowers of Japan in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory! Don’t miss this mesmerizing floral display. In anticipation, we’re taking an in-depth look at these fascinating flowers.

Learn all about spoons, quills, and anemones (chrysanthemums, of course) below.

Kengai display in the Leon Levy Visitor Center, 2010

On October 5, kiku will join Fall Flowers of Japan in the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory! Don’t miss these magnificent Japanese chrysanthemums trained to grow in a mesmerizing variety of shapes and styles. In anticipation, we’re taking an in-depth look at these fascinating flowers.

What grows up, must come down, at least when you’re growing kengai. Learn why below.