-Relic38.jpg){kind=link}
Founding florist
Tulipanna
Bondi NSW · est. 1992
A Bondi Road florist since 1992, with seasonal bouquets, arrangements, roses and potted orchids, and a weekly note on what's at market.
Seasonal cut flowerChrysanthemum morifolium
Chrysanthemums: when they're in season in Australia
In season now (November 2026): Yes in every state
Chrysanthemums are within the listed Australian season in November. The national season is all year. Local growing conditions and supply can change the timing. Check the state guide below and ask your florist about locally grown stems before ordering, especially near the beginning or end of the season.
- Right now
- In season in November
- Season
- all year
- Vase life
- 10 to 20 days
Add to a florist brief Find seasonal alternatives
Written by Dan d'Auvergne
Season by state
Flowers and pets: check before bringing a bunch home
Season months drafted from koch.com.au, abc.net.au, katehillflowers.com.au, livingflowersmelbourne.com.au. Availability varies by grower and region. See sources
Chrysanthemums flower naturally in autumn and spring, but commercial growers control day length to crop them all year, so they are at market in every month. They are the traditional Mother's Day flower in Australia, and growers such as one at Paper Beach in northern Tasmania plant months ahead to harvest tens of thousands of extra bunches for that one weekend in May. Spray types carry several small flowers per stem, while disbuds carry one big bloom. Vase life is excellent.
Where to buy chrysanthemums
Affordable most of the year, with prices and demand peaking the week before Mother's Day.
How to choose good chrysanthemums
Check the leaves first. Chrysanthemum foliage wilts and yellows before the flowers show their age, so green, upright leaves are the best sign of a fresh bunch. Turn a disbud over and look at the outer petals, which should be firm, not browning or drooping. The stems should be thick and woody and clean at the cut, not slimy. On daisy-style sprays, a centre heavy with pollen means the flower is further along. One bunch of spray chrysanthemums fills a medium vase. For the best value, buy outside the week before Mother's Day, when demand pushes prices up.
Grown here or imported?
Chrysanthemums are not native to Australia, but they're grown here commercially.
Where they're grown
Chrysanthemums are grown in Australia under glass and plastic, where growers use blackout screens and lights to control day length and trigger flowering on schedule. That is what makes them a year-round crop. Much of the local supply comes from glasshouse growers on the outskirts of Melbourne and other capitals, run as specialist commercial businesses. Tasmania has growers too, including a big operation at Paper Beach on the Tamar that plants months ahead for Mother's Day. Chrysanthemums are also one of the largest import lines, while garden plants still flower naturally in autumn as the days shorten.
Florists top up local supply with imported stems, mostly from Kenya, Colombia, Ecuador, Malaysia and China. Ask your florist which you're buying: local stems are usually fresher and have travelled less.
Colours, varieties and care
Colours
- white
- cream
- yellow
- gold
- peach
- pink
- red
- burgundy
- lilac
- green
Varieties to ask for
- Spray
- Disbud
- Button (Santini)
- Spider
Vase life
10 to 20 days
Making them last
- Choose spray stems with at least five flowers open, or disbuds with a tight tuft of centre petals
- Strip all leaves below the waterline, as they foul the water quickly
- Recut stems and use flower food
- Change the water every few days
- Keep cool and they will last two to three weeks
Using them at home
In autumn, chrysanthemums sit well with dahlias, lisianthus and tuberose, and all year with roses, carnations and eucalyptus. Spider and large disbud types have enough presence for a vase of their own, while buttons are best massed in a low bowl or used short in a posy. Pick a straight-sided vase so the woody stems stand upright. Disbuds keep unfurling for days, curling outward from a tight centre, and a vase often lasts long enough to rearrange once. Chrysanthemums can be air-dried, though they lose some colour.
Meaning and birth month
Traditionally a symbol of joy and optimism, and in Australia the Mother's Day flower.
Chrysanthemums are a traditional birth flower for November.
Where to see them growing
Pure Maiden Farm
Maiden Gully
Usual season: September to May
Sydney Flower Market
Flemington
Best months: all year
Melbourne Market flower market (National Flower Centre)
Epping
Best months: all year
Questions people ask
When are chrysanthemums in season in Australia?
Chrysanthemums are available all year because growers control light to make them flower on demand. Their natural seasons are autumn and spring, and supply peaks for Mother's Day in May.
Who started Mother's Day in Australia?
A Sydney woman, Janet Heyden, is credited with starting the Australian tradition in 1924. She collected gifts from local schools and businesses for elderly women at the Newington State Home, many of whom had no family visiting. It was held on the second Sunday in May, as it still is, and chrysanthemums became the flower that went with it.
When should I order Mother's Day flowers?
Early in the week before, or sooner. Mother's Day week is the busiest of the year for most florists, and many stop taking delivery orders once they are full. Each florist sets its own cut-off, so check with yours. If you order on the Saturday, be ready to take whatever the florist has left.
Why are chrysanthemums the Mother's Day flower in Australia?
Mother's Day falls in autumn, when chrysanthemums naturally flower, and the name shortens to "mum". Growers plant months ahead so the biggest harvest lands in the week before Mother's Day.
How long do chrysanthemums last?
Ten to twenty days, making them one of the longest-lasting cut flowers. Strip the lower leaves, which rot quickly in water, and change the water every few days.
Related flowers
All flowers
Where this season information comes from
- koch.com.au/blog/the-essential-guide-to-the-chrysanthemum
- abc.net.au/news/rural/2023-05-13/chrysanthemum-growers-harvesting-mothers-day-blooms/102317678
- katehillflowers.com.au/blogs/bloom-journal/flowers-in-season-melbourne
- livingflowersmelbourne.com.au/blogs/news/seasonal-flowers-by-month-in-australia