Chrysanthemum Duchess of Edinburgh

Chrysanthemum 'Duchess of Edinburgh', also known as the autumn daisy, is hardy and very perennial. It is a bushy herbaceous plant with a woody crown. In autumn, it produces many double, red flowers with a yellow heart. This extremely bright chrysanthemum will revive flower beds deserted by summer blooms.

Chrysanthemum x rubellum belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is a hybrid obtained through the cross-breeding of species from East Asia and Siberia (C.zawadskii). The 'Duchess of Edinburgh' cultivar forms a large bush over 1m (3ft) tall and 75cm (30in) wide with rapid growth which flowers in September-October. The plant is covered in numerous daisy-like, very double, fragrant, deep red flowers with a yellow heart in corymbs, measuring 5 to 7cm (2 to 3in) in diameter. The heart is yellow, and the 'petals' around the edge are red and oblong. The leaves are triangular-ovate, lobed in five parts, measuring up to 5cm (2in) long, with toothed or lobed edges and hairy undersides.

Autumn daisies require a sunny exposure and light, slightly acidic to neutral and fertile soil, not too dry but also not too wet. They are hardy down to -15°C (5°F) at least. To maintain a compact habit, the stems can be pruned back to 30cm (12in) in spring, which will encourage the plant to branch out.

Garden chrysanthemums offer immense resources during a slightly less floriferous time of year and blend remarkably well with autumn colours. They can be paired with asters in complementary colours or their blooms can be lightened by those of cosmos, Japanese anemones, shrubby salvias, and Magellan fuchsias... They are particularly interesting when combined with grasses such as Carex, Stipa, and Pennisetum.