florist's daisy

Chrysanthemum ×morifolium (Ramat.) Hemsl.

Florist’s chrysanthemum is a botanical identity expressed through many cultivated forms. The multiplication sign in its name marks a complex hybrid background rather than a single wild ancestor. USDA GRIN notes the involvement of Chrysanthemum indicum and other species, while Kew gives a more detailed five-species formula. Its diversity is visible most clearly in the flower heads. USDA GRIN: Chrysanthemum ×morifolium Ramat.Kew POWO: Chrysanthemum ×morifolium

Botanical name

USDA GRIN accepts supplied Chrysanthemum ×morifolium Ramat.; Kew uses (Ramat.) Hemsl. for the linked florist-chrysanthemum hybrid identity. USDA GRIN: Chrysanthemum ×morifolium Ramat.Kew POWO: Chrysanthemum ×morifolium

Recognizing the plant

Plants are herbaceous perennials with branching stems and alternate leaves that vary from nearly entire to deeply lobed and toothed. The apparent bloom is a head of many florets. Some forms expose a central disc; others pack the rays densely into rounded heads, curl them inward or extend them into narrow, spider-like shapes. Colors span whites, yellows, purples and warmer shades. These differences belong to cultivated selections rather than being fixed features of every plant bearing the name. NC State Extension: Florist’s chrysanthemum

Bloom window

North Carolina outdoor horticultural account

In North Carolina’s outdoor horticultural account, the characteristic flowering display is in autumn. NC State Extension: Florist’s chrysanthemum

Native range

Kew associates the hybrid with southeastern China, and its parental background is Chinese. The familiar florist and garden forms represent cultivated diversity spread far beyond that origin. Kew POWO: Chrysanthemum ×morifolium NC State Extension: Florist’s chrysanthemum

Botanical sources

Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.