The Come-Back Mum: Chrysanthemum Clara Curtis

Virtues: A truly hardy, perennial mum, 'Clara Curtis' will return year after year to bloom with soft pink daisy flowers in the fall.

Common name: 'Clara Curtis' mum

Botanical name: Chrysanthemum rubellum 'Clara Curtis', syn. Dendranthema 'Clara Curtis' or 'Country Girl'

Flowers: This mum's flowers are daisy-like, with light pink petals surrounding a yellow eye. 'Clara Curtis' mum begins blooming in mid- or late summer and continues through the fall.

Habit: Herbaceous perennial 18 to 24 inches tall and 18 inches wide.

Season: Fall, for flowers.

Cultivation: Grow 'Clara Curtis' mum in full sun to part shade, in rich, moist but well-drained soil. Pinch back the stems every two weeks from spring to midsummer to make the plant bushier. Deadhead the summer flowers to promote fresh bloom for fall. Full sun makes this mum more compact and floriferous. May slowly spread by underground stems, but not aggressively. USDA Zones 4–9.

Image: KingsbraeGarden

Read about potted mums

How and when to divide mums

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