Longwood Gardens Unveils Largest Mum Grown Outside Of Asia
October 31, 2016 
Photo credit: Hank Davis
Longwood Gardens recently unveiled the largest chrysanthemum ever grown outside of Asia.
The Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum features 1,523 uniform blooms on one plant. The Thousand Bloom Mum is a highlight of the annual Chrysanthemum Festival at Longwood Gardens, which transforms Longwood’s 4-acre conservatory into a “vibrant visual feast of colorful chrysanthemum blooms,” according to Longwood.
The plant derives its name from the ambitious goal of cultivating a single chrysanthemum plant to produce as many perfectly placed blooms as possible. This ancient technique, known in Japan as Ozukuri, originated hundreds of years ago in Asia and is the most exacting and challenging of all chrysanthemum training styles.
Longwood’s Thousand Bloom measures an impressive 12.5 feet wide and nearly 8 feet tall, and took 18 months of careful nurturing and training to grow into its final form.
Chrysanthemums were first grown and displayed at Longwood in 1921 when founder Pierre S. du Pont opened the Conservatory. Longwood now has one of the largest and oldest chrysanthemum shows in North America, showcasing all 13 classes of mums grown into more than 70 unusual forms, such as spirals, shields, orbs, and more.
Longwood’s Chrysanthemum Festival runs through November 20 and is free with admission to the gardens.
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