This last week, August 30th- September 3rd, 2021, was Chrysanthemum Week! Our partner Ball SB hosted this wonderful event to introduce their newest line. We wanted to give a brief history and symbolism of the bloom and a sneak peek of the new offerings from Ball.

About Chrysanthemum Week

"The Journey to cut flowers begins at that “Aha!” moment when a color, a flower, a new way of growing is first imagined. Ball transforms these dreams into reality – Ball is the leading breeder, propagator, and distributor of vegetative material supplies for the professional ornamental fresh cut flower grower. Ball SB is well known for leading-edge in new varieties and breeding programs. With a research center in Sesquile, Colombia, and a fully operational TC Lab, we test over hundreds of trials annually. Our R&D team follows a rigorous and strict process of evaluation and selection to provide and introduce new varieties and genetics to bring more color and beauty to nature." (Chrysanthemum Week)

Here are just a few of their new offerings!

You can view all of their new Chrysanthemum varieties here!

About the Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemums, also known as mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants in the Asteraceae family that belong to the genus Chrysanthemum. The Chrysanthemum flower, second only to the Rose, is one of the most popular flowers in the world. The word "chrysanthemum" comes from the Greek words "chrysos" (gold) and "anthemon" (flower). There are 40 wild chrysanthemum species, as well as countless variants generated by selective breeding. They're from Asia and northern Europe. The chrysanthemum was initially grown in China as a flowering herb in the 15th century B.C., according to ancient Chinese literature.

Chrysanthemums come in a range of forms and sizes, with different flowers depending on the species. The stem can grow to a height of 5 to 15 cm (2–6 inches). The diameter of a flower can range from one to twenty-five centimeters (0.4 to ten inches).

Hues available include purple, lavender, pink, burgundy, bronze, white, and red, in addition to the typical yellow. They have serrated or smooth edges and alternately arranged leaves separated into leaflets. The compound inflorescence is a cluster of flower heads or a single flower head. Spray chrysanthemums are varieties that have several flowers. 

Chrysanthemum blooms come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including daisies, ornamental pompons, and buttons. Chrysanthemum flower heads are composites, which means they are made up of many small individual flowers. Disk and ray florets make comprise the flowering sections of chrysanthemums.

Disk florets are the small flowers in the center of the bloom, while ray florets are the larger blooms around the edges (what we view as the petals). The ray florets are considered imperfect flowers because they only have female reproductive organs, whereas the disk florets have both male and female reproductive organs, making them complete flowers.

Chrysanthemums are one of the most beautiful perennial types that bloom early in the fall. This bloom is also known as November's favorite flower. Depending on the hue and human culture, the chrysanthemum represents happiness, joy, love, or mourning. The chrysanthemum is a symbol of death in some European countries, and it is an unavoidable part of funeral bouquets. With the exception of New Orleans, the flower is mainly associated with positivity and happiness in the United States.

Learn more about our partnership with Ball here!