Ozukuri Mum Display at Longwood Gardens

Mum Display at Longwood Conservatory

As fall mums are finishing up in our gardens, Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA has debut their annual chrysanthemum display in the Conservatory. More than 17,000 chrysanthemums were nurtured and trained, some for more than a year by their talented horticultural staff to resemble balls, spirals, columns, pagodas, and more. It is the largest display of exhibition chrysanthemums in the United States.

The star of the show, the Thousand Bloom Mum or (called “Ozukuri” in Japan), boasts more than 1,500 perfectly arranged yellow flowers on one plant and is the largest grown outside of Asia. Horticulturists grow a single mum plant containing hundreds of perfectly spaced blooms. The Ozukuri display serves as the centerpiece of their annual Chrysanthemum Festival. Visitors will see thousands of mums in 13 different classes and 70 different forms.

The thousand-bloom mum is massive: 12.5 feet wide and almost 8 feet tall. It takes 18 months to grow. They use an heirloom variety from Japan called ‘Susono-no-Hikari’.

Longwood Gardens brags that it’s the largest Ozukuri ever grown outside of Asia. Each year Longwood’s talented staff has increased the bud count: In 2011 — 1,167 flowers, in 2013 — 1,416, in 2015 — 1,509, and 1523 in 2016.

The 2016 festival runs October 15 through November 20. Peak bloom is from November 5-20. Don’t miss this and all the wonderful sights at this year-round Garden Wonderland. Next up is the annual “A Longwood Christmas” from November 24 – January 8, 2017.

Photo by Jane Conlon