Hardy Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield'
(kris-AN-the-mum)

In a way this maybe the most beautiful flower I saw growing this fall. This photo doesn’t really do it justice. You don’t see Sheffield Mums as often as you should. They are not like the showy cultivars that are available these days, it is a much more dignified and refined plant. Maybe it is because the price is high. They wanted about $20 for a 6-inch pot at the nursery this picture was taken. I saw them for $17.99 at another nursery for a decent sized plant. In my infinite wisdom I thought I could get them cheaper and I should have just bought the larger ones. When I went back to buy them they were gone.

I decided to look up a little information on Chrysanthemums. I have been planting them for years and really didn’t have much knowledge about the plant itself. According to Wikipedia the flower has been grown in China since the 15th century BC and it was exported to Japan in the 8th century. The plant made it to the West in the 17th century. I tried to look up some info on Sheffield Mums and found a lot of confusion. The nomenclature of the Chrysanthemums seems to be in a bit of a flux and what I learned seems no longer to be true so I won’t go into that here. What is important is this is a beautiful hardy perennial that will bring years of enjoyment and brighten up your fall garden for years to come.

(syn.: Dendranthema ‘Hillside Pink Sheffield’)