Chrysanthemum 'Little Dorrit' (21f) | chrysanthemum 'Little Dorrit'

RHS

Synonyms

Dendranthema 'Little Dorrit'

Herbaceous Perennial

'Little Dorrit' is a herbaceous perennial growing to about 80cm tall. The flowers have three rows of spoon-shaped petals in red gold with a yellow centre and appear in mid to late autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1–2 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H4

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower Foliage

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Skin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus: Chrysanthemum are erect woody-based perennials with aromatic, pinnately lobed leaves and flowerheads of diverse form, from late summer to late autumn
Name Status: Accepted
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea: Korean chrysanthemums (21f) are perennials with a range of flower types, including Spider, with long, narrow, pendent ray florets; Spoon, with tubular rays opening to a spoon-shape at the tip; and Quill, with slender, tubular rays oblique at the tip

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a sheltered site in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil enriched with organic matter and general-purpose fertiliser. Water freely in dry weather. Pinch out the growing tip when the plants are 15-20cm tall to encourage free-flowering, bushy plants. Staking and deadheading are not usually required. Plants should survive outdoors in most areas especially if protected by a thick mulch. In very cold areas lift the crowns and store in a greenhouse, raising fresh plants from these each year

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings taken in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back to near ground level in the autumn

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and leaf miners which are common pests. Leaf and bud eelworms can damage stock that has not been heat-treated. Earwigs sometimes damage blooms. Capsid bug and glasshouse red spider mite are occasional pests

Diseases

May be susceptible to glasshouse grey mould, powdery mildews and chrysanthemum white rust