Heirloom Chrysanthemums: History, Origins, and Why Gardeners Still Grow Them

Chrysanthemums are one of the most beloved flowers of the autumn garden, but few gardeners realize just how long their story truly is. These remarkable plants have been cultivated for more than 2,000 years, traveling from ancient Chinese medicinal gardens to European conservatories and eventually into American cottage gardens. Along the way, generations of growers carefully preserved and shared special varieties through propagation, creating the heirloom chrysanthemums we can still grow today.

In this post, we’ll explore the fascinating history of chrysanthemums—from their early origins in China to their arrival in Europe and the United States—and explain what makes a chrysanthemum an heirloom variety worth preserving in modern gardens.

From Ancient Herb to Heirloom Garden Favorite

Before we go too far down the road of March Mum Madness, I think it’s worth taking a moment to talk about the flower at the center of it all.

What exactly is a chrysanthemum? And what makes one an heirloom anyway?

Chrysanthemums—often just called mums—are flowering plants best known for lighting up the garden in late summer and fall. But their story goes back far beyond our autumn borders. In fact, chrysanthemums have been cultivated for over two thousand years. Also I'm not talking about the potted Mums you see lined up outside grocery stores in the Fall. These plants are tall, lush and offer up long, strong stems for florists and designers with an excellent vase life.

Ancient Roots in China

Chrysanthemums originated in China, where they were being cultivated and used medicinally as early as the 15th century. As an herb, the plant was believed to hold the power of life, and it was valued not only for its beauty but also for its healing properties.

Over centuries the flower became deeply woven into Chinese culture, appearing in art, poetry, and seasonal traditions.

Eventually chrysanthemums spread to Japan, where they became so admired that the flower was adopted as a symbol of the emperor. Even today the chrysanthemum remains an important cultural emblem in Japan.

The Journey to Europe

Chrysanthemums didn’t reach European gardens until much later.

In 1789, a French merchant from Marseilles named Pierre Louis Blancard returned from China with three chrysanthemum cultivars. Only one survived the journey, a variety that became known as Old Purple. This plant is widely recognized as the first named chrysanthemum cultivar grown in the Western world.

The plant eventually made its way to Kew Gardens and was described in the beloved Curtis's Botanical Magazine in 1796. Interest in chrysanthemums began spreading quickly through Europe, and the Royal Horticultural Society encouraged gardeners and plant collectors to import new cultivars from Asia to add to their gardens.

A Breakthrough in Chrysanthemum Breeding

For many years gardeners attempted to produce chrysanthemum seed in Europe but struggled to do so successfully. That changed in 1827, when a retired French officer named Captain Bernet succeeded in producing viable chrysanthemum seed! This breakthrough was incredibly important because it opened the door for hybridizers to begin creating entirely new varieties. Not long after, chrysanthemums were also being raised in England. Records suggest that one of the earliest English breeders may have been Mr. Wheeler of Oxford around 1832, though the exact date is difficult to confirm per the National Chrysanthemum Society. From that point forward, chrysanthemum breeding accelerated rapidly.

The Explosion of Chrysanthemum Varieties

As hybridizers began experimenting with seedlings, they started producing an incredible range of flower forms. Over time chrysanthemums were developed into the many classes we recognize today—from giant incurving exhibition blooms to tiny pompon flowers. One well-known example of this creativity came from French gardeners who improved upon the Chusan daisy introduced to Europe by the British plant hunter Robert Fortune. The small rounded flowers reminded them of the wool pompons worn on soldiers’ hats, which led to the name pompon chrysanthemum—a form that remains popular today.

Chrysanthemums Arrive in America

Chrysanthemums eventually made their way to the United States as well.

In 1798, the Old Purple chrysanthemum was introduced to American gardens by John Stevens, a nurseryman from Hoboken, New Jersey.

By the mid-1800s chrysanthemums were becoming well established in American horticulture, and interest in breeding and exhibiting them continued to grow.

In 1902, the Chrysanthemum Society of America held its first exhibition, celebrating the remarkable diversity of this flower.

What Makes a Chrysanthemum an Heirloom?

So where do heirloom chrysanthemums fit into all of this history?

An heirloom mum is a variety that has been preserved and passed down through generations of gardeners, often long before modern commercial breeding focused on mass production.

There isn’t one strict rule for defining an heirloom chrysanthemum, but generally these varieties share a few characteristics.

A Long History

Many heirloom chrysanthemums trace their origins back decades—or even more than a century. Some appear in historic nursery catalogs or society registers from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Preserved Through Propagation

Unlike many garden plants, chrysanthemums are not typically grown from seed.

Instead, they are propagated by cuttings or division, meaning each new plant is genetically identical to the original mother plant. This allows a particular variety to be kept alive for generations.

If you collected seed from a chrysanthemum—much like saving seed from a dahlia—the resulting plant would likely be a completely new variety rather than a copy of the parent.

(Which, admittedly, is a rabbit hole I’m planning on exploring this season.)

Shared by Gardeners

Many heirloom chrysanthemums survived not because they were widely sold in garden centers, but because small farms, specialty growers, and home gardeners continued to share cuttings with one another.

In many cases, these flowers were passed hand-to-hand within local chrysanthemum societies or garden clubs. Go us! Bridging a gap in history!

Carrying the Story Forward

Today there are thousands of chrysanthemum varieties, representing centuries of work by growers and hybridizers who loved this flower enough to keep experimenting, preserving, and sharing it. Sadly, many of the local chrysanthemum societies that once helped maintain these collections have seen declining membership as longtime growers age and fewer younger enthusiasts step forward.

But every time someone plants a Mum in their garden, they help keep that story alive. I’m honored to be growing and sharing these varieties with a new generation of gardeners!

Find Heirloom Chrysanthemums This Spring

Many of the heirloom varieties I’ve been researching and growing will be available at our spring plant sales, and anyone who brings one home will also receive my Digital Chrysanthemum Growers Guide to help you succeed at growing these beautiful plants.

📍 April 23–26 Floral Current Plant Sale Arlington Innovation Center

📍 May 3 | 11–3pm SnoCo Flower Collective Plant Sale Flower Farmer Girls — Snohomish

If you’ve never grown chrysanthemums before, this might just be the year to start!