Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemum breeding is a world renowned specialty of the University of Minnesota. Perhaps no organization or commercial enterprise in the world has developed and released as many northern clime, winter hardy varieties of this colorful plant.
Availability Notes: Not every variety released over the years by the University of Minnesota is still available. When known, the "availability" column in these lists indicates whether, to the best of our knowledge, each variety is current (meaning you can expect to find it through major sources), an heirloom variety (you will likely need to seek through specialized sources), or a variety that is believed to no longer be available.
Garden Type - Greenhouse Type - Maxi-Mum
Garden Type Chrysanthemums
Garden type chrysanthemums are those typically found in landscapes and flower gardens. A new type, the first of which was introduced in 1996, is a "maxi-mum" which produces massive, floriforous, shrublike growth.
| Name and Year Released | Availability | Variety Notes | |
| Aurora 1945 |
2.25" blood-red double flowers | ||
| Autumn Fire 1977 |
large, double, burnt orange flowers | ||
| Boreas 1941 |
2" white double flowers | ||
| Bountiful 1948 |
2.5" carmine double flowers | ||
| Brilliant 1947 |
cushion, 2.5" Brazil-red, double flowers | ||
| Burnt Copper 1988 |
orange bronze, 3" double pompon, tall, midseason | ||
| Butterball 1944 |
2.5" lemon-chrome pompon flowers | ||
| Centennial Sun 1985 |
golden yellow, 1.5" double decorative, early | ||
| Centerpiece 1982 |
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4" rose-lavender with gold center, quilled flowers, tall | |
| Chippewa 1942 |
2.75" purple semi-double flowers | ||
| Creamtop 1966 |
3" white flowers with yellow centers | ||
| Dee Dee Arens 1946 |
2" white double flowers | ||
| Dr. Longley 1949 |
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3" rose-pink decorative flowers | |
| Duluth 1939 |
2" lemon-yellow, semi-double flowers | ||
| Glacier 1944 |
early, 3" white decorative flowers | ||
| Gold Country 1983 |
4" peachy yellow, fully double decorative flowers | ||
| Gold Strike 1964 |
2" golden yellow pompon flowers | ||
| Golden Fantasy 1957 |
2" golden yellow decorative flowers | ||
| Golden Jubilee 1971 |
3" deep gold decorative flowers | ||
| Golden Star 1977 |
yellow, spoon-petalled flowers | ||
| Grape Glow 1988 |
bright rosy purple, 3.5" flat decorative | ||
| Harmony 1941 |
2.25" yellow to red double flowers | ||
| Harvest Bronze 1952 |
3" apricot-bronze double flowers | ||
| Inca 1996 |
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light bronze, 2" double button, low | |
| Lemonsota 1988 |
lemon yellow, 1" pompon, low | ||
| Lindy 1974 |
4.5" lavender-pink, quilled incurve flowers, tall | ||
| Maroon 'n Gold 1945 |
3.5" red to maroon double flowers | ||
| Maroon Pride 1989 |
dark red, 3.5" flat, decorative, early | ||
| Mellow Moon 1983 |
cream, 4.5" semi-incurved, fully double, decorative | ||
| Mesabi 1955 |
2" copper-red double flowers | ||
| Minnautumn 1962 |
cushion, 2.5" reddish bronze decorative flowers | ||
| Minnbronze 1957 |
cushion, 1.5" bronze double flowers | ||
| Minnehaha 1958 |
2.5" salmon double flowers | ||
| Minneglow 1972 |
cushion, 2.25" lemon-yellow decorative flowers | ||
| Minngopher 1977 |
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cushion, 2" to 2.5" ruby-red decorative flowers | |
| Minnpink 1957 |
cushion, 1.5" rose-pink decorative flowers | ||
| Minnqueen 1979 |
cushion, 3" rose-pink decorative flowers | ||
| Minnrose 1966 |
cushion, 1.5" rose-pink pompon flowers | ||
| Minnruby 1974 |
cushion, 2.25" ruby-red decorative flowers | ||
| Minnwhite 1968 |
cushion, 2" white decorative flowers | ||
| Minnyellow 1972 |
cushion, 2" lemon-yellow decorative flowers | ||
| Moonglow 1941 |
l.75" lemon-chrome double flowers | ||
| Moonlight 1949 |
3" pale yellow reflexed flowers | ||
| Peach Centerpiece 2000 |
4" peach with gold center colored, quilled flowers, on plants 20" wide and 25" tall | ||
| Pipestone 1943 |
2.75" Brazil-red semi-double flowers | ||
| Prairie Moon 1959 |
4" creamy-white double flowers | ||
| Prairie Sunset 1952 |
2.5" rose-pink double flowers | ||
| Princess 1957 |
2" rose and gold flowers | ||
| Purple Star 1942 |
2" purple double flowers | ||
| Redgold 1942 |
2" scarlet pompon flowers | ||
| Redhawk 1944 |
2" red quilled flowers | ||
| Redwing 1941 |
l.75" red, semi-double flowers | ||
| Redwood 1944 |
2" carmine semi-double flowers | ||
| Rose Blush 1993 |
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mauve, 2" to 3" decorative | |
| Rosy Glow 1987 |
deep rosy pink, 4" decorative incurved | ||
| Royal Knight 1979 |
burgundy, silver underside, 3.5" reflexed decorative | ||
| Royal Pomp 1969 |
2" pompon-spicy fragrance, bright purple flowers | ||
| Sesquicentennial 2001 |
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1-2", fully double, decorative flowers; uniform plants 12-18" high and 20" wide | |
| Silver Pink 1947 |
2.5" pink with silvery sheen, double flowers | ||
| Snowball 1944 |
2.5" white double flowers | ||
| Snowscape 1996 |
white with purple tips, 3" semi-double, decorative flowers | ||
| Snowsota 1989 |
white with cream centers, 1.5" pompon | ||
| Sunny Glow 1968 |
2.5" orange-gold decorative flowers | ||
| Sunred 1942 |
3" Brazil red semi-double flowers | ||
| Superior 1965 |
3" bronze-orange decorative flowers | ||
| Tenstrike 1963 |
l.5" bright lavender pompon flowers | ||
| Tonka 1959 |
3" yellow double flowers | ||
| Violet 1946 |
3" purple double flowers | ||
| Vulcan 1955 |
2.5"dark red decorative flowers | ||
| Wanda 1956 |
3" raspberry double flowers | ||
| Waterlily 1943 |
3" raspberry double flowers | ||
| Wayzata 1961 |
3" bright yellow decorative flowers | ||
| Welcome 1941 |
l.75" mallow-purple semi-double flowers | ||
| Wendy Ann 1974 |
4" fawn yellow semi-spoon flowers | ||
| Wenonah 1954 |
2.25" lavender double flowers | ||
| Yellow Glow 1969 |
2.75" rich yellow decorative flowers | ||
| Zonta 1964 |
2.5" apricot-bronze pompon flowers |
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Greenhouse Type Chrysanthemums
Limited information is available on these older chrysanthemum varieties.
| Name and Year Released | Availability | Variety Notes | |
| Daisy mum 1940 |
single, white starlike flowers | ||
| Fawn 1935 |
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| Hiawatha 1934 |
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| Northstar 1935 |
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| Sioux 1940 |
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| Snowflake 1935 |
single, rays aster-purple, twisted | ||
| Winona 1940 |
single, lemon-chrome flowers |
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Maxi-mums
This is a new type of chrysanthemum. The first variety of this type was introduced in 1996, and several more are planned for release over the next few years. A "maxi-mum" produces massive, floriforous, shrublike growth. It can grow as large as 30 inches across and three feet high by its third year.
| Name and Year Released | Availability | Variety Notes | |
| Betty Lou 1996 |
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red, button, 30 inch spread |