Chrysanthemum 'Clara Curtis'

Chrysanthemum 'Clara Curtis': The Mum That Actually Comes Back

Most garden mums are one-season flings you grab at the grocery store. 'Clara Curtis' actually comes back. Deep pink daisies with yellow centres and a commitment level your ex could learn from. SHE'S DEFINITELY A KEEPER.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Chrysanthemum × rubellum 'Clara Curtis'
• Common Name: Garden Mum
• Height: 60–75 cm (24–30 in)
• Spread: 45–60 cm (18–24 in)
• Flowers: Single, deep pink daisies with a yellow centre, about 6 cm (2.5 in) across, in loose sprays
• Bloom Time: Late summer to fall (August to October)
• Foliage: Lobed, light to mid-green leaves, lightly aromatic
• Features: Long-lived, reliably perennial, good for cutting

Where to Plant: Plant it at the front or middle of a sunny border, in a cottage garden, or in a pollinator bed that needs late colour. It also works in containers and earns a spot in a cut-flower bed.

Companion Plants: Use 'Clara Curtis' to close out a sunny or lightly shaded bed with pink, ruby and violet. Geranium macrorrhizum carpets the front at 30 to 35 cm with magenta-pink flowers in May and June. Hemerocallis 'Ruby Stella' adds ruby red reblooming daylilies at 45 to 55 cm from July to September. Phlox Luminary® 'Ultraviolet' brings dark magenta-violet heads at 81 to 91 cm in July and August. Calamagrostis 'Overdam' stands behind at 90 to 120 cm with cream-edged blades.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil. Good drainage matters most, because wet winter soil is the main thing that kills hardy mums. Less sun gives you floppier stems and fewer flowers. Pinch or shear the stems back by about a third in late spring and again in early summer, stopping by early July. This keeps the plant compact and packed with buds. Leave the stems standing over winter to protect the crown, then cut them back in spring. Divide every two or three years in spring to keep the clump vigorous and stop the centre going woody.

History: 'Clara Curtis' is a very old garden cultivar in the Rubellum group of hardy chrysanthemums, which are linked to the East Asian species Chrysanthemum zawadskii and have been grown for decades because they survive cold winters better than florist mums. It is also sold under the names Dendranthema 'Clara Curtis' and 'Country Girl'.

Final Thoughts: Plant it once, enjoy it for years, and let the butterflies RSVP every fall. FINALLY, A MUM WHO CALLS BACK.