Last week we talked about one of our favorite fall flowers - pansies. Today let’s talk about another one - mums.

Mum is a shortened version of their original name - chrysanthemum. Let’s just call them mums. Mums are technically perennial plants in Zones 5-9, we’re in Zone 7b. However, most of the mums we purchase in the fall, are grown to have a beautiful burst of flowers right about now. In contrast to a lot of perennials, they have been grown for this beautiful show of flowers rather than to work on a robust root system. But, after the flowers have faded for the season, there’s no reason you can’t find a nice spot in your landscape, plant them, and see what happens.

Several years ago, I thought I would test this theory, so after all the yellow flowers on our beautiful mum were gone, I unceremoniously planted it in an existing flower bed. I didn’t have high hopes, but to my surprise, it came back in the spring, bloomed, and continued to do so for several years. I’m not guaranteeing you will have similar success, but why not give it a shot.

One of the things I love about mums is that there are so many beautiful colors. In the fall the yellows and burnt orange ones seem to prevail, but there are others. When shopping you’ll likely find mums that are also red, pink, white, and purple. They also come in a variety of shapes.

First, we have the “cushions.” These are a double flowered variety. Then there are the “decorative” ones which have double or semi-double flowers while “pompoms” have smaller flowers that are ball shaped. In spite of all this, if we admit it, we are going to select our mums with the following criteria - “that’s pretty.” You should find your favorite garden center filled to the brim with fall mums right now so it’s time to get shopping.

When selecting a spot to plant your mum, you’ll want a location with well-drained soil. Wet roots can contribute to root rot and that will work against your plan of re-purposing your fall mum. You will also want to put down a good layer of mulch around the plant since its roots will likely be pretty shallow, and freezing temperatures are rougher on plants with shallow root systems. Shallow root systems also dry out faster, so a good layer of mulch will help keep the plant hydrated during the winter. Also, they will do best in a location that receives a good amount of sun, so try to place them in a spot that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day.

After the first freeze takes out the top of the plant, try to resist the temptation to cut back those dead stems. Leaving them in place will not only help provide a little extra insulation for the plant, but a variety of insects like to overwinter inside the stems of plants. So, leaving those stems in place until things start to green up in the spring can help provide a home for some of our pollinating insects. And remember, without pollinators, we don’t eat.

When your plant begins to grow next year, you can prune the new growth back to about 6 inches in length. Doing this will encourage the plant to produce more blooms and to get bushier. You can cut them back 2 or 3 times during the growing season but you will need to stop around the beginning of July to encourage more flowers for those fall blooms.

While there are no guarantees that your fall mums will make it in your landscape, I say ‘why not plant them, what have you got to lose?” Then just maybe you will have a beautiful mum in your landscape that comes back every year and there’s nothing wrong with that. See you in the garden.

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: Tom Ingram