Chrysanthemum ‘Julie Lagravère’

Chrysanthemum ‘Julie Lagravère’ is a compact, highly floriferous perennial that produces many small, deep red colored flowers all throughout the autumn season.

The leaves are low-growing, green and divided into rounded leaflets, resembling miniature oak leaves. This variety turns slightly purplish as the cold weather sets in.

The flowers are a deep, velvety red with a slight ring of yellow around the center. They are small but continuously blooming so the show feels never ending.

Drought tolerant and hardy, this perennial will bring some color and energy to your garden as the other plants begin to prepare for winter.

👨‍🌾GARDENING TIPS👨‍🌾: 

• • 🌞 The active ingredient found in flower heads is called pyrethrum, and is a toxic compound that causes paralysis in insects. This is used in insecticides so you can infuse ho water with Chrysanthemum heads, let it cool and then spray your pests away! Alternatively, the flower heads can also be ground into a powder and sprinkled on a garden patch or windowbox that is giving you trouble – the pyrethrum should take care of them for you.
  • ✂️ Cutting back the stems to 20cm from the ground in January promotes a strong reconstitution and multiplication of each Chrysanthemum when spring arrives.

Floral morphology

Chrysanthemums produce dense corymb inflorescences, composed of tubular, pentamerous flowers 15–20 mm long, displaying shades from deep magenta to pale pink, and occasionally white.

Reproductive biology

The flowers are hermaphroditic and protandrous, promoting cross-pollination while maintaining self-compatibility.

Ecology & cultivation

Chrysanthemums produce abundant nectar, making them highly attractive to pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other insects. Flowering occurs in late summer to autumn, with blooms lasting several weeks. Deadheading promotes additional flowering and reallocates biomass to reproductive shoots.

Chrysanthemums tolerate moderately dry, well-drained, nutrient-poor soils and full sun. They are also resistant to moderate frost, roughly corresponding to USDA zones 5–9.

Their adaptability, long-lasting blooms, and healthy foliage make chrysanthemums quintessential perennials for autumn gardens, borders, and massifs

The Tale:

The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek: χρυσός (chrysos) which means gold and ἄνθεμον (anthemon) which means flower.

It is a contentious genus as it used to include many other families within it (most notably Argyranthemum, Glebionis, Leucanthemopsis, Leucanthemum (daisies), Rhodanthemum, and Tanacetum (tansy)) but a ruling in 1999 by the International Botanical Congress separated the families out once and for all.