Chrysanthemum (Garden Mum) in Zone 8a & 8b

Chrysanthemum x morifolium

When to plant chrysanthemum (garden mum) in zone 8b

Zones 8a and 8b share the same average frost dates in our data, so this page covers both.

Method: Start indoors: Start indoors from seed, then transplant outside. Chrysanthemum (Garden Mum) needs a head start most zones can't give it by direct-sowing alone.

Start indoors	Jan 28–Feb 4
Direct sow / transplant outside	Apr 8–Apr 15
Estimated bloom	Apr 7 '28–Apr 14 '28 (First real harvest the season after planting)

Spacing: 1 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 1-3 ft.

Garden mums are sold in bloom in September and treated as decoration. NC State Extension lists them as perennial in zones 5 through 9, which means most of the country is throwing away a plant that would come back.

How chrysanthemum (garden mum) fits zone 8's season

Zone 8b's frost-free window runs about 230 days, from March 25 to November 10. Chrysanthemum (Garden Mum) takes about 1 growing season to reach full flowering, so what matters here is how many of these seasons it gets, not whether one is long enough.

Chrysanthemum (Garden Mum) is hardy in zones 5-9, so in zone 8b it stays in the ground through winter and comes back rather than being replanted. Allow about 1.5 ft of spread at maturity.

Good companions

No standout companions recorded yet for Chrysanthemum (Garden Mum).

Where to buy chrysanthemum seeds

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