September heralds the onset of the significant transition from summer to autumn in the garden, and while the majority of summer flora still retain considerable vitality, numerous horticulturists are now directing their focus toward the iconic chrysanthemum.

The majority of chrysanthemums sold in pre-planted containers at the garden center are the quintessential “cushion” varieties.

I wouldn't garden without them, yet there are numerous other intriguing alternatives for gardeners seeking to diversify their selections.

Botanists worldwide recognize approximately 40 species of wild chrysanthemums.

Over the centuries, hundreds of thousands of varieties and cultivars have been bred from them, rendering the plant family one of the most extensive in the world.

The National Chrysanthemum Society has grouped all varieties into 13 exhibition categories based on flower shape.

However, many of these are too delicate for outdoor growth or need special care that is hard to provide in a garden, so they are not available from horticultural suppliers.

Nevertheless, an abundance of aesthetically striking, attention-grabbing, and even unconventional varieties are at the disposal of home gardeners, enabling them to ensure their autumn garden stands out.

Many perennials are hardy and will reappear annually, provided they are planted early enough for their root systems to establish themselves before the onset of frost.

If you plan to grow perennial mums, be cautious of so-called florist mums, which are often sold in foil-wrapped pots at supermarkets and chain stores, as they are meant for one-season fall decoration.

Always check plant tags for information about hardiness in your horticultural zone.

At the supermarket or garden center, you are also likely to come across perennial cushion mums.

When in bloom, these compact, mounding plants resemble a cushion adorned with small double flowers in shades of white, yellow, lavender, pink, purple, red, orange, bronze, or rust.

The plants typically begin flowering in late summer or early fall and continue for four to six weeks.

Most cushion mums are hardy in zones 5-9, with some capable of surviving winters down to zones 3 or 4.

Daisy chrysanthemum blooms echo their namesake flower, featuring a flat, central 'eye' encircled by individual petals, sometimes arranged in multiple rows.

As with all 'spray mums,' each stem branches at its tip to bear several white, gold, yellow, pink, lavender, violet, orange, rust, bronze, or even two-tone blossoms.

Most mums of this type thrive in zones 5-9, though certain exceptionally cold-tolerant cultivars, such as Mammoth, remain hardy down to zone 3.

While Fuji and spider mums are less commonly found in retail outlets, they merit a deliberate search at specialty nurseries or through mail-order catalogs.

Their exotic blossoms, characterized by elongated, tubular petals with recurved tips, derive their name from a striking resemblance to spiders with their slender, elongated legs.

Predominantly hardy to zone 5, these plants constitute exceptional additions to the mid- and late-autumn garden, given that their four-to-eight-week flowering period frequently does not commence until early November.

Homecoming, or Football, mums are the largest and most ostentatious members of the Chrysanthemum family.

Their popularity surged during the first half of the 20th century, owing to their use as corsages at college homecoming parades and festivities.

Today, these plants, characterized by their immense, densely packed blooms and inward-curving petals, can be cultivated as perennials in home gardens within zones 5-9.

You are most likely to encounter Homecoming mums at specialty nurseries or through mail-order catalogs.

When it comes to exceptional autumn flora, discretion is paramount.

Jessica Damiano pens weekly gardening columns for Reporters and curates the Weekly Dirt Newsletter, where readers can subscribe to receive expert horticultural tips and advice.