Both florist mums (Chrysanthemum × morifolium) and garden mums (Chrysanthemum × rubellum or Chrysanthemum × grandiflorum) are complex hybrids primarily derived from Chinese and Japanese species. The key distinction lies in their selective breeding history. Florist mums, also known as cut mums or exhibition mums, were bred over centuries for their spectacular floral displays under highly controlled conditions. Garden mums, often called hardy mums, were selected specifically for their ability to survive winter cold and thrive as perennial landscape plants in temperate climates.
From a plant morphology perspective, their growth habits differ significantly. Florist mums are typically cultivated as a single-stemmed plant, directing all energy into producing one large, perfect bloom, or as a spray form with multiple uniform flowers. Their root systems are often shallower and less developed. In contrast, garden mums exhibit a dense, mound-shaped (cushion) growth habit. They are prolific basal branchers, creating a bushy, rounded plant covered in hundreds of smaller flowers. Their root systems are hardier, more extensive, and better adapted to withstand freezing and thawing cycles in the soil.
This is a critical physiological difference. Both types are short-day plants, meaning they initiate bud formation when nights are longer than a critical threshold (approximately 12 hours of darkness). However, florist mums have been bred for a very precise and rapid photoperiodic response. Growers can manipulate light and temperature in greenhouses to force them into bloom at any time of year. Garden mums have a more seasonally fixed flowering trigger, naturally blooming in the late summer to autumn when daylight hours shorten. Their flowering is less precise and more influenced by ambient outdoor conditions.
The most practical difference for a gardener is the plant's ability to survive winter. Florist mums are tender perennials, often only hardy to USDA zones 7-10. They are bred for floral quality, not cold tolerance. If planted outdoors in colder climates, they will almost always die over the winter. Garden mums are true hardy perennials, with cultivars rated from USDA zones 3 to 9. They can survive freezing temperatures by going dormant; their energy is stored in the hardy root crown (the center of the plant at soil level), which sends up new shoots the following spring.
The floral structure is optimized for different purposes. Florist mums produce incredibly large, long-lasting flowers with a vast diversity of forms (e.g., spider, quill, football, and decorative). The blooms are bred for vase life, often persisting for weeks after cutting. Garden mums produce a prolific abundance of smaller, simpler flowers—typically decorative, daisy, or button forms—that create a massive color impact in the landscape. Their individual flower longevity is shorter, but the overall plant provides a show for several weeks in the fall.
