Chrysanthemums, sometimes called chrysanths - are native to Asia and northeastern Europe.
Modern cultivated chrysanthemums are more charming than their wild relatives. The flower heads occur in various forms - daisy-like or decorative, like pompons or buttons. The pompon form is fully double, of small size, and very globular in form. Single and semidouble blooms have exposed disk florets and one to seven rows of ray florets.
Chrysanthemums are divided into two basic groups, garden hardy and exhibition. Garden hardy chrysanths are new perennials capable of wintering in most northern latitudes. Garden hardies are defined by their ability to produce an abundance of small blooms with little if any mechanical assistance, such as staking and withstanding wind and rain. Exhibition varieties, though, require staking, overwintering in a relatively dry, cool environment, and sometimes the addition of night lights.
Another interesting fact is that chrysanthemum plants have been shown to reduce indoor air pollution by the NASA clean air study.