The mum breeding program at the University of Minnesota has a long history, with the Minnesota Minn series being introduced in the 1950s. There is also the maxi-mums (one cultivar Betty Lou) that Ball Seed Co. bought the rights and patents to from the university around the year 2000. In the early 1990s they developed a perennial mum that is still being tweaked today. You may be familiar with the My Favorite Mum series which is low maintenance and has frost tolerant blooms. The Monrovia Co. has since taken over the propagation and distribution of these mums and re-released them as Mammoth Mums. To locate a retailer near you, go to www.monrovia.com to search by ZIP code for a retailer near you.

To read more about the mum breeding program and varieties developed see http://www.cfans.umn.edu/mUM_Magic.html.

This information is specific for Minnesota and may not apply to your local conditions. For more information on this topic, choose a related topic link from the site listed above, submit a question through Ask an Expert, or contact your local Extension office.