Chrysanthemum koreanum Hebe

Chrysanthemum koreanum Hebe is a mid-season garden chrysanthemum with daisy-like flowers in a gradient of very bright pastel pink, with a prominent golden yellow centre. It begins flowering in September and continues until the end of October. Hardy and long-lived, easy to grow in any good garden soil, this plant, also known as autumn daisy, is perfect in borders or in containers on a terrace. It quickly forms a medium-sized clump, as wide as it is tall, with a rounded and dense habit, very floriferous for several weeks.

The Garden chrysanthemum is an herbaceous and rhizomatous perennial plant with a woody base, belonging to the Asteraceae family, it is a cousin of daisies and sunflowers. Hebe is a cultivar derived from Chrysanthemum koreanum x indicum, a plant native to East Asia, cultivated since ancient times in China, Japan and Korea, which is the origin of florist chrysanthemums. It forms, from spring onwards, a 60 cm (24in) high by 60 cm (24in) wide bush, composed of leafy and branched stems, woody at the base. Its growth is quite rapid. Flowering occurs from September to the end of October, or even in November depending on the climate. The plant produces numerous flowers grouped in heads, of a simple daisy-like shape, reaching 6 cm (2in) in diameter, clustered in small bouquets at the top of the leafy stems. The disc is golden yellow while the ligules on the periphery, wide and rounded, are in a gradient of pastel pink depending on the flowers. The leaves are triangular-ovate, coarsely divided into 5 lobes, and measure up to 5 cm (2in) long. They are toothed at the edges, dark green in colour with a slightly dull appearance, and hairy underneath. The above-ground vegetation dries up in winter and regrows in spring. Its stump, very long-lived, will live for a long time in the garden.

Garden chrysanthemums offer immense worth during a slightly less flowery time of year and blend remarkably well with autumn colours. They can be associated with asters, in complementary colours. Their flowering is lightened by that of cosmos, Japanese anemones, gauras, shrubby salvias, Magellan fuchsias, Kaffir lilies. They are particularly interesting when associated with grasses: Carex, Stipa and Pennisetum. Chrysanthemums are also good cut flowers, very long-lasting in a vase. Consider using taller varieties to create autumn borders at the base of deciduous shrubs that will reflect their yellow, red, and orange autumn foliage.