Korean chrysanthemums: description of varieties, winter-hardy, early, spherical, tall

Korean chrysanthemums - “last hello” of the autumn flower bed before the final fall into winter hibernation. These small-flowered hybrids are perennial plants. The distant ancestor of the “Koreans” was found in East and Southeast Asia, but today the varieties of Korean chrysanthemums are so diverse that their descriptions and photos differ from each other, as if they were different types of plants.

Variety of varieties of Korean chrysanthemums

The Aster family is quite numerous. Chrysanthemums of different types grow not only in Asia:

coronal – Mediterranean region;
swamp – Portugal and Spain;
keeled – North-West Africa.

Those varieties that are today called Korean are actually hybrids: a wild species of Siberian chrysanthemum was exported from Korea by an American breeder and crossed with the cultivated small-flowered chrysanthemum "Ruth Hutton".

“Koreans” cannot claim antiquity and mystery of origin. It would be more correct to call these flowers Siberian chrysanthemum, but an American brought a wild ancestor from Korea under the name “Korean daisy.” This is where the name “Korean chrysanthemum” comes from.

After successful hybridization and obtaining perennial plants, breeders were able to realize their wildest dreams. Today, about 500 varieties of Korean hybrids have already been bred. Often only a fan can distinguish one variety of Korean chrysanthemum from another “live” or in a photo.

Classification of varieties of Korean chrysanthemums

There is no established and fixed classification of garden chrysanthemums. They are often divided according to individual characteristics, mixing either the size of the flowers, the height of the bush, or frost resistance.

There are annual types of chrysanthemums that are not related to perennial Korean hybrids. The latter may differ in height, size of inflorescences, number of petals, etc., but they are all perennials. According to height, hybrids are divided into:

tall: from 55 cm;
medium height: 45-55 cm;
short: up to 45 cm.

The latter variety is often called border, since bushes of low, abundantly flowering plants are convenient for decorating garden paths. And sometimes to hide an ugly border.

Low-growing hybrids are often grown as home potted crops. "Koreans" grow well in an apartment.

The second type of division according to the shape of the inflorescences is:

simple;
semi-double;
terry.

The simple inflorescence is the same as that of wild forms, but cultivated varieties can be of any color. The term “spherical” means that the flower is voluminous, as in the photo below.

The third type of division of plants by flower size: small, medium and large. The fourth is by flowering time: early ripening, mid ripening and late ripening.

Important! The seeds of late-flowering hybrids do not ripen.

But even early varieties are more efficiently propagated by any other method other than seeds.

Varieties of early Korean chrysanthemums

All chrysanthemums are autumn flowers. But even among them there are “relatives” that bloom earlier or later. Some bloom for no more than 30 days, others can be pleasing to the eye for a couple of months. Among the early “Koreans” are:

Lelia – from July to September;
Pamela Brons – from August to October;
Novella – coloring of buds from the end of July, flowering begins in August, ends blooming in October;
Apple blossom No. 1 – from August;
Apple blossom No. 2 – from the beginning of August.

Both Apple blossoms finish flowering in October.

Varieties of spherical Korean chrysanthemums

Among Korean hybrids, the term "globular" has another meaning. By this word, lovers of small, long-flowering bushes mean the shape of the plant itself. Globular “Koreans” are often grouped under the name “multiflora”. They do not require formation and grow on their own in the form of a spherical bush. In autumn, such a “ball” is strewn with flowers of various shapes and colors.

Almost all varieties of multiflora appeared in Russia recently and do not even have their own names:

Branbeach – yellow, orange, purple, white. The size of double inflorescences is 4.5-7 cm..
Terry yellow flowers have a diameter of 3-7 cm;
Branfountain – white, purple, coral, lemon.Terry inflorescences, diameter 4 cm.
Brandroyal – red, pink, yellow, white. The flowers have a very rich, bright color. Diameter 4-5 cm.
Branhill – light pink and dark red. Double flowers, 3-5 cm in diameter.
Inflorescences with a diameter of 4 cm, double. Flowering is abundant.
This variety not only has a spherical bush, but also flowers. The diameter of double flowers is 2.5-3 cm. The petals are white, the center is yellow.

Multiflora can also be divided according to early maturity and bush height. Some of the multiflora varieties grow up to 70 cm, others remain at 30-40 cm.

Tall Korean chrysanthemums

It is profitable to grow tall varieties for sale, since if the bush is not very powerful, then the inflorescences hanging in different directions will give a sloppy impression. High varieties include all those above 60 cm:

Orange sunset – 70 cm;
Chamomile – 70 cm;
Vologda lace – 60 cm;
Sun – 70 cm;
Aurora – 90 cm;
Umka – 70 cm.

Some varieties of hybrids can grow up to 1.5 m.

Varieties of frost-resistant Korean chrysanthemums

Gardeners value hybrids for their frost resistance, which they acquired from their wild ancestor. Few hybrids are unable to withstand the cold. The standard lower threshold for these hybrids is 20-35 °C below zero. The following can withstand cold temperatures down to – 35 °C:

Lelia;
Chamomile;
Vologda lace;
Sun;
both Apple Blossom varieties and many other varieties.

Varieties of Korean chrysanthemums with photos and names

It is impossible to describe all Korean hybrids due to their abundance and diversity. “Koreans” also cannot be clearly divided into groups, since depending on the chosen criterion, plants will have to be combined in different ways.But some varieties of Korean chrysanthemums and their brief descriptions are given below.

Meridian Dar

Low-growing spherical plant with early flowering. Burgundy flowers are very small, no more than 3 cm in diameter. Semi-double. The centers are yellow. This multiflora belongs to the early ones. Flowering begins in August. Abundant. No foliage is visible under the blossoming buds.

Lelia

Tall (0.6 m) small-flowered (diameter 4 cm) variety. The color is bright and can vary from raspberry-lilac to rich pink. The photo of the Korean chrysanthemum Lelia shows that during flowering, many inflorescences form on the bush. The bush does not grow on the sides.

It is characterized by low sensitivity to drought and frost. Can withstand temperatures from + 40 °C to - 34 °C. Lelia is early ripening. Flowering begins in July and continues until September.

Orange sunset

Tall, large-flowered plant. The height of the bush is 0.7 m with a diameter of 0.4 m. The diameter of the inflorescence is 10 cm. Flowering is abundant. The color of the flowers is bright orange. The hybrid is mid-season, blooms in August. Withstands temperatures down to – 30 °C.

Tarantella

Late ripening, blooms from September. According to gardeners, the Korean chrysanthemum Tarantella can bloom even under the snow until severe frosts hit. It does not differ in high winter hardiness. Withstands up to – 23 °C. Plant height 50 cm. Inflorescences are medium, 6 cm.

The flowers differ in that their petals are tubular and of different lengths. They vaguely resemble a spider. The color of the petals is yellow, the middle is green.

Chamomile

Tall, large-flowered variety. And to top all the misfortunes - late ripening. Height 0.7 m. Inflorescence diameter 10 cm. White Chamomile flowers really look like ordinary field daisies.But, like all chrysanthemums, the petals are arranged in 2 rows.

Blooms in September. Withstands frosts down to – 34 °C. Therefore, in many regions it is able to winter without shelter.

Vologda lace

The Korean chrysanthemum Vologda lace is tall because it reaches 0.6 m. The inflorescences are medium in size - 7 cm. The petals are white at the tips. Towards the middle they become yellow. The variety is classified as semi-double. Late-ripening, blooms from mid-September. Winters calmly in open ground, withstanding frosts down to -34 °C.

Sun

Tall (from 50 to 80 cm), late-ripening, blooms in September. The inflorescences are large, bright yellow, 10 cm in diameter. The color of the petals is even from the middle to the tips. Double flowers. The bush is frost-resistant, up to – 34 °C.

apple blossom

There are 2 varieties of Korean chrysanthemum called Apple Blossom. Apple blossom No. 1 has a height of 0.5 m and a flower diameter of 7 cm. The flowers are double. In the centers, unopened petals are white-pink in color. Fully bloomed petals are white. The general impression of the inflorescences is the color of the flowers on the apple tree.

The variety is frost-resistant (-34 °C) and mid-season. Blooms in August.

Apple blossom No. 2 is tall, 0.6 m. The diameter of the inflorescences is 6 cm. Double flowers. The petals are pink-white, yellow in the middle. The lower petals are tubular. It begins to bloom in early August. Frost-resistant.

Aurora

A variety of American selection. This is a tall, late-ripening plant with large flowers with an average diameter of 9 cm. The height of the bush is up to 0.9 m. The inflorescences are double with red petals at the edges and yellowish in the center. The outer petals are red above, yellow below. Since in the middle there are the same petals, but not blossomed, the middle looks yellow.There are few shoots on the columnar bush, but they are very powerful. Flowering period from September to October.

Umka

The bush is 0.7 m high. The size of the flowers is average: 5 cm. The Korean Umka chrysanthemum has an interesting feature: the flowers that have just bloomed are white, but after standing, they become bright lilac. Therefore, on one bush there may be White flowers with cream centers and bright lilac.

The variety is late-ripening and begins to bloom in September. It has good winter hardiness and can winter in open ground. Withstands frosts down to – 34 °C.

Lipstick

Based on the description and photo, the Lipstick variety of Korean chrysanthemum is one of the most popular when decorating borders and other similar decorative elements. It is classified as undersized and reaches a height of only 40 cm. The strong bush does not fall apart on the sides, which allows it to be planted along garden paths. Dark red flowers are numerous and quite large for a short plant - 6 cm. It blooms in September and blooms until frost. Winters calmly in open ground, withstanding 30-degree frosts.

Anastasia

Medium-sized variety with medium-sized flowers. The height of the bush is 45 cm, the diameter of the inflorescences is 6 cm. The flowers are semi-double. Anastasia is a multi-color variety. The color of the petals can range from yellow to faint crimson. The level of winter hardiness is average.

Korean white

Korean white chrysanthemum is a very tall bush. In favorable conditions it can grow up to 0.8 m. Minimum height is 0.6 m. The flowers are very large - 10-12 cm. Flowering is abundant. The petals are white. The middle is yellowish. The variety is mid-season, blooms at the end of August. Frost resistance is average. Without shelter it can withstand 20-degree frosts.

Purple Haze

A very beautiful tall hybrid. It can grow from 60 to 80 cm. The diameter of the inflorescences is 6.5-7 cm. The petals are lilac in color, with sharp tips. The young flower has a darker center. The fully bloomed inflorescence is evenly colored. Winters well in the open air.

Alyonushka

A low-growing variety of Korean chrysanthemum with pink flowers. The height of the bush is up to 50 cm. The plant is compact. Petals are dark pink. The middle is yellow. The inflorescence is not double, with an average diameter of 5.5 cm. It is classified as late-ripening, as it blooms in September.

Altgold

The bush grows up to 55-60 cm. The flowers are double, medium-sized, with a diameter of 5-6.5 cm. The description of the color of the inflorescences of this Korean chrysanthemum is quite complex, as they shimmer from yellow to red. The buds are dark red. Gradually blooming, the petals become bright yellow. At the same time, they may have a narrow red border along the edges.

Starts to bloom in September. As a companion, landscape designers advise planting the Smile variety with lilac flowers.

Malchish-Kibalchish

Low growing variety with simple flowers. The bush is only 35 cm high, but spreading, making it poorly suited for planting along borders. Chamomile-shaped flowers. The petals are dark pink, the middle is yellow. This “Korean” is a mid-season plant: it blooms from mid-August to the end of September, weather conditions permitting. During the period of mass flowering, one bush can have up to 35 peduncles.

Important! Does not have high frost resistance.

Evening lights

Low growing compact bush. The height is 35 cm, the diameter is also 35 cm. It is well suited for decorating borders, since the plant is not only compact and blooms profusely, but also produces almost no root shoots.This saves the owner from annual weeding of excess plants.

The flowers are chamomile-shaped, very bright. The petals are bright red, the centers are yellow. The diameter of the inflorescence is 5.5 cm. It blooms in September. Flowering time is 1 month.

Amber

Yellow terry variety of Korean chrysanthemum. A medium-sized compact bush with a height of 0.5 m and a diameter of 0.5 m. The inflorescences are larger than average and reach 7.5 cm in diameter. The color is dark yellow. Unopened petals are closer to orange in color. The disadvantage of this variety is the abundance of root shoots. During the summer the bushes grow well. Yantar is a winter-hardy variety that can survive the winter in the open air in most regions of Russia.

Korean chrysanthemum “Mixture”

There are no photos or descriptions of Korean chrysanthemums sold in packaging called “Korean Blend”. This is a mixture of “there will be a surprise.” Only he knows what seeds the manufacturer put there. It is possible that the manufacturer does not know this for sure if the packages were formed according to the residual principle. By planting such seeds, you can grow Korean chrysanthemums that bloom with white flowers with pink streaks. Or dark red flowers. Perhaps there will be snow-white or yellow chrysanthemums. Several varieties can grow, differing in growth, maturation and appearance of the inflorescences. It is advisable to buy such a mixture either in the hope that an interesting, original bush will grow, or simply to sow something in a flower bed.

Combination of Korean chrysanthemums with other flowers

When planting, it is not advisable to combine “Korean” bushes with other plants. Many of them look very impressive when planted in the middle of a small grass lawn. A bush variety of chrysanthemums formed in the form of a small tree will look beautiful.

In autumn, compositions made from chrysanthemums and their closest relatives of the aster family: vernium or perennial asters. Chrysanthemums get along well and look great in the company of annual flowering plants:

ageratum;
zinnia;
coleus;
salvia;
balsam;
marigolds;
calendula;
snapdragons and other flowers.

By choosing the right plants according to their flowering period, you can get a long-flowering composition that will delight the eye until frost.

Conclusion

Korean chrysanthemums are ideal for garden decoration in autumn. Thanks to the variety of varieties and forms of these plants, you can create very interesting compositions. The unpretentiousness of the “Koreans” saves the gardener from unnecessary work in the garden.