As fall approaches, mounds of mums begin appearing for sale everywhere from plant nurseries to grocery stores. Even those of us who prefer summer to colder weather may find ourselves tempted by the perfect green domes studded with bright flowers in hues evocative of warm spices. But then we get them home and wonder, Where do we put them? What do we pair them with? The best companion plants for mums — more formally known as chrysanthemums — will complement their appearance and possibly even offer some growing benefits as well.
Companion Plants for Mums
The following plants pair beautifully with mums, whether you plant them right next to each other or create an entire stunning autumn landscape with them across your front yard and porch.
1. Marigolds (Tagetes spp.)
A summer flower popular in the vegetable garden, marigolds will put on a profusion of warm-hued blooms right up until the first fall frost. Marigolds attract pollinators and other beneficial insects to the garden, and many gardeners claim they also deter pests. They are also incredibly easy to grow from seed, sometimes even self-sowing, making them an economical and beautiful way to augment the fall colors of marigolds.
Learn more about growing marigolds.
2. Ornamental cabbage and kale (Brassica oleracea)
Add some texture to your fall garden with the showy foliage of ornamental cabbage or kale. Bred for their looks rather than taste — unlike their edible counterparts — ornamental cabbage and kale have rosettes of ruffled, variegated leaves in shades of green, purple, rose, or cream. These are a great option for creating a lovely display on the front porch alongside potted mums.
3. Autumn Joy sedum (Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’ Autumn Joy)
Offering three-season interest, Autumn Joy sedum emerges in spring with fleshy green leaves, then produces clusters of light pink buds that, around the same time mums begin blooming, open to reveal reddish flowers that attract butterflies and other pollinators. This succulent perennial grows one and a half to two feet tall, providing a striking backdrop to mums that can be enjoyed year after year.
4. Ornamental grasses
Ornamental grasses add height and texture to the garden and often nicely complement lush mounds of mums. Native perennial grasses are especially good options, such as pink Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris), which produces clouds of vibrant pink to reddish panicles in the fall, or little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), which turns from blue-green to copper, orange, or red in autumn.
5. Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
The bright green, spikey, grass-like foliage of chives adds vibrant color and textural variety to the garden and provides a nice contrast alongside mums. Chives and other alliums have a pungent aroma that many pests find unappealing, and their purple pompom flowers attract beneficial insects. As an added bonus, this common herb also lends bright, oniony flavor to a wide range of dishes in the kitchen.
Here are some easy tips for growing chives.
6. Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
A native wildflower, goldenrod brightens up the late summer and early fall landscape with its long, finger-like spikes of vibrant golden flowers. Commonly growing up to five feet tall (though shorter cultivars are available), it makes an excellent back border behind shorter plants, like mums. Its lovely yellow blooms draw in bees and butterflies, which don’t seem to find mums very attractive.
7. New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
New England aster is actually a popular native perennial alternative to mums, as the flowers have a similar shape and bloom time, and the hardy plant comes back year after year with minimal care. However, for those who can’t imagine fall without mums, it also makes a good companion for mums with its complementary purple flowers with golden centers and its taller stature.
8. Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)
Despite its unfortunate common name, sneezeweed is a lovely addition to the autumn garden (and is rarely a cause of seasonal allergies). This native perennial wildflower produces flowers reminiscent of daisies or coneflowers and blooms in warm hues of yellow, orange, and red. Growing three to five feet tall, sneezeweed would be stunning mixed with goldenrod in a back border behind mounds of mums.
9. Purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)
Though purple coneflower often begins blooming well before mum season, deadheading will encourage bountiful blooms until frost. Yet another native perennial, purple coneflower averages one to two feet tall with pinkish-purple petals growing downward from a large, brown, cone-shaped center. The beautiful flowers attract many native pollinators to the garden.
10. Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
For a low-growing mum companion, look no further than sweet alyssum. Varying cultivars grow from only a few inches to just under a foot tall. Blooming in spring and fall, it forms a carpet of tiny white to lavender flowers with a sweet fragrance. To enjoy this lovely ground cover again next year, leave the spent plants in place over winter and gently remove them in spring once the self-sown seedlings have begun to emerge.
11. Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana)
I have discovered in recent years that pansies planted in the fall will survive winter and bloom merrily again in spring before succumbing to summer heat. They bring a surprising burst of color to the fall landscape, blooming even after frost has wiped out most other flowering plants. When you purchase your mums, pick up a few packs of pansies, too, to tuck into your flower beds or pots and provide some vibrancy as the year wanes.
Although a few pots of mums will brighten up a porch all on their own, these classic fall flowers are even more stunning when used as a focal point in a full autumn landscape. Pick out a couple of the mum companions listed above and have fun creating a beautiful fall garden.
