Chrysanthemum 'Rita McMahon' (29d) | chrysanthemum 'Rita McMahon'

Herbaceous Perennial

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An erect, woody-based, deciduous perennial, producing stems to 1.2m (4ft) high and a spread of 50cm (20in), with deeply divided, aromatic green leaves. In late summer and autumn, the plants produce many sprays of semi-double, rich yellow flowers, each with a greenish-yellow eye. They are long lasting in water and are ideal to grow for cutting. The plants are only able to tolerate light frost, so are best heavily mulched over winter, or lifted after flowering and kept in cold, but frost-free conditions until spring.The flowers are attractive to pollinating insects and the plant makes a good choice for including in a wildlife garden

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand, Clay

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand Clay

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

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–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): H3

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, Clump forming
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: Early flowering, single, Outdoor Spray chrysanthemums are bushy perennials with several single or semi-double flowers on each branching stem, flowering from late summer to autumn

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a well-drained, fertile, moisture-retentive soil in full sun. In cool regions, lift the plants in autumn, before the first frosts and store the crowns in trays of just moist compost in frost-free conditions until spring. In areas where temperatures fall no lower than -5˚C (23˚F) in winter, plants may be left in the ground and protected by a thick mulch over winter, carefully removing this in spring, after the risk of frosts has passed.

Propagation

Propagate by basal softwood cuttings from overwintered stools in late winter or early spring. Cuttings should be rooted in a peat-free compost the surface of which is covered with dry sand and kept in a temperature of 16°C. Place in a cold frame after first rooting and protect from frost. Harden off in mid spring. Established clumps may be propagated by division in spring.

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Wildlife gardens
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Once flowering is over in late autumn, cut the whole plant down to 20cm (8in) tall.

Pests

May be susceptible to capsid bug, earwigs, chrysanthemum eelworm, aphids, chrysanthemum leaf miner and glasshouse red spider mite

Diseases

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