Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum 'Mariyo' MARILYN)
Chrysanthemum 'Mariyo' MARILYN is a low-maintenance herbaceous perennial featuring showy white blooms from September to frost, perfect for fall gardens.
Scroll down to discover growing tips, care requirements, companion plants, and more
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Chrysanthemum ‘Mariyo’ MARILYN is a beloved, clump-forming garden mum prized for its reliable and profuse fall flowering display. This specific cultivar offers flat, decorative white flowerheads that provide essential late-season color when many other garden specimens are fading. As a member of the robust Chrysanthemum genus, MARILYN brings dependable structure and vibrant floral impact to the landscape.
This herbaceous perennial reaches a compact height of 1.5 to 2 feet, making it an excellent choice for borders or seasonal displays where defined structure is needed. Cultivating Chrysanthemum ‘Mariyo’ MARILYN is straightforward for most gardeners, requiring full sun and moderate attention to achieve its best bushy form and abundant white blooms. Gardeners often treat these plants as colorful annuals due to their late-season availability, but they reward overwintering efforts in the right zones with returns year after year.
The aesthetic value of Chrysanthemum ‘Mariyo’ MARILYN lies in its dense, mounded habit topped by masses of white flowers starting in September and continuing until the first hard frost. Its foliage is dark green, lobed, and aromatic, offering textural contrast even when not in bloom. Successful cultivation centers on providing consistent moisture and regular pinching to ensure a full, non-leggy plant.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Asteraceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 5-9
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 1.5-2 ft
- Spread: 1-1.5 ft
- Bloom Time: September to frost
- Bloom Description: White
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
Successfully growing Chrysanthemum ‘Mariyo’ MARILYN begins with proper placement and soil preparation. Plant these stunning white-flowering mums in sites receiving full sun for the best blooming; while they tolerate light shade, excessive afternoon shade, especially in hot climates, can hinder development. Ensure the soil is humusy, fertile, consistently moist, and exceptionally well-drained, as Chrysanthemum resents wet feet.
Regular care focuses heavily on shaping the plant throughout the growing season to maximize flower production. Pinch the stems back periodically from late spring until mid-summer (a common guideline is between Memorial Day and the 4th of July) to encourage side branching and a dense, bushy habit. For prolific flowering, feed your Chrysanthemum plants several times throughout the active growing season using a balanced fertilizer.
After the season ends and flowering ceases, cut the faded stems back to about 6 inches from the ground. Apply a protective layer of mulch, such as straw or evergreen boughs, around the base, especially in colder parts of Zones 5-7, to help buffer winter cold. Furthermore, dividing established clumps every two to three years, either in spring or fall, promotes vigor and prevents overcrowding.
Landscape Uses
These versatile Chrysanthemum cultivars are excellent landscape workhorses, functioning effectively both as seasonal highlights or as long-term perennial anchors. Their compact, mounded structure makes them ideal for mass plantings to create sweeping drifts of white color in the autumn landscape design. They also serve beautifully as a formal or informal edging plant along walkways or raised beds due to their consistent 1.5 to 2-foot height range.
Chrysanthemum ‘Mariyo’ MARILYN thrives equally well when featured as a focal point in containers or window boxes, often combined with trailing greens or contrasting late-season bloomers like Sedum or ornamental grasses. Because they are often the last dependable bloomers available, they provide crucial pollinator support late in the season. Remember that deer and rabbits generally leave this variety alone, simplifying their integration near garden edges.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Chrysanthemum is a genus of about 20 species grown mostly for their showy flowers, with many hybrids serving as mainstays of the fall garden. The genus name derives from the Greek words chrysos (gold) and anthemon (flower). MARILYN is a clump-forming, fall-blooming garden mum with a flat decorative capitulum form, meaning the flowerheads are flattened with short ray florets, and it belongs to the Prophet Series by Yoder. This compact, well-branched hybrid features profuse white blooms from September until frost, supported by thick, aromatic, dark green foliage.
Tolerances
- Rabbit
- Deer
Potential Problems
While generally low maintenance, the Chrysanthemum can occasionally suffer from common garden pests and diseases, primarily during humid periods. Watch closely for damaging populations of aphids, thrips, and spider mites, which can weaken the plant if left unchecked; early intervention with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap is recommended. Potential fungal issues include Botrytis blight, leaf spots, rust, and powdery mildew, often managed by ensuring good air circulation and avoiding overhead watering late in the day. Verticillium wilt and root rots indicate poor drainage or infected soil, necessitating careful site selection or soil amendment prior to planting the next Chrysanthemum ‘Mariyo’ MARILYN.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Chrysanthemum suitable for?
This robust cultivar is suitable for gardeners in USDA Zones 5 through 9.
How large does Chrysanthemum ‘Mariyo’ MARILYN grow?
This compact hybrid typically matures to a height between 1.5 and 2 feet tall, with a spread ranging from 1 to 1.5 feet wide.
What sun exposure does Chrysanthemum need?
For the most vibrant and long-lasting white blooms, Chrysanthemum ‘Mariyo’ MARILYN requires full sun exposure.
When does Chrysanthemum bloom?
You can expect deep color from this plant starting in September and continuing consistently right up until the frost arrives, featuring classic white flowers.
Conclusion
The Chrysanthemum ‘Mariyo’ MARILYN is an invaluable asset for extending garden interest well into autumn, offering reliable structure and beautiful white flowers with relatively low maintenance requirements. By ensuring consistent culture—full sun, pinching for shape, and adequate moisture—you guarantee a stunning finale for your perennial border or containers. Check your local hardiness rating against Zones 5-9 and plan your pinching schedule now for the best autumn show from your Chrysanthemum.
Companion Planting
When integrating Chrysanthemum ‘Mariyo’ MARILYN into your fall garden beds, consider partners that share their love for well-drained soil and full sun. Good companions include ornamental grasses like Miscanthus or Panicum, which provide contrasting upright texture against the mounded mum habit. For continued color adjacent to the white blooms, plant late-blooming perennials such as reliable Sedum cultivars (e.g., ‘Autumn Joy’) or Eupatorium (Joe-Pye Weed), ensuring the overall planting scheme maintains consistent watering needs while transitioning gracefully into dormancy.
Propagation Tips
While many gardeners treat Chrysanthemum as an annual replacement, maximizing your investment involves division, a simple method of propagation. This herbaceous perennial should be divided every two to three years, typically performed in the early spring as new growth emerges, or alternatively in the early fall after bloom cleanup. Gently lift the clump using a sharp spade or garden fork, separating the mass into smaller sections, each containing healthy roots and several growing points. Replant these divisions immediately into amended soil at the same depth as the parent plant to renew vigor and increase your stock of this fine cultivar.
