Other Names:  Garden Mum, Korean Mum, Dendranthemum

Group/Class:  Padre Series

Description:

This series is an early season bloomer; lilac double blooms cover this perfectly mounded plant; adaptable to various conditions; best in full sun; outstanding performance in containers; low maintenance and easy to grow

Ornamental Features

Padre Lilac Chrysanthemum is covered in stunning lilac purple daisy flowers at the ends of the stems from late summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its fragrant ferny leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Padre Lilac Chrysanthemum is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Padre Lilac Chrysanthemum is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Padre Lilac Chrysanthemum will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Padre Lilac Chrysanthemum is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.