The aim of this page is to describe in simple terms how the chrysanthemum classification and Colour code systems operate.

Colours: there are twenty one colour classifications. There are six main colours:  Bronze (b), Pink (p), Purple (pu), Red (r), Yellow (y), Salmon (s) - each of the preceding classifications can be prefixed 'Light' (l) or 'Deep' (d) making eighteen, in addition white, cream and 'other colours' bring up the total of twenty one.

Classification: chrysanthemums are allocated a number to represent their type and natural flowering time, this number is often referred to as their 'section'. Numbers in the range 22-30 are September flowering (Earlies) and numbers in the range 13-20 are October flowering (mid Season). Numbers in the range 1-12 are November Flowering (Lates). 

To determine the type, for example  3, 13 and 23 are 'incurved', 4, 14 and 24 are 'reflexed', 5, 15 and 25 are 'intermediate'. The character immediately following the 'type' number normally represents bloom size - 'a' is large, 'b' is medium, 'c' is small, but this is not always the case, see 'Explanatory Notes' below, for full details.

Link to Chrysanthemum Forms page.

 

	Natural Flowering Time
Type	November	October	September
Large Exhibition	Section 1	n/a	n/a
Medium Exhibition	Section 2	n/a	n/a
Incurved	Section 3 a b c	Section 13 a b c	Section 23 a b c
Reflexed	Section 4 a b c	Section 14 a b c	Section 24 a b c
Intermediate	Section 5 a b c	Section 15 a b c	Section 25 a b c
Anemone	Section 6 a b c	not applicable	Section 26 a b
Singles	Section 7 a b c	Section 17 a b c	Section 27 a b
Pompons	Section 8 a b	Section 18 a b	Section 28 a b
Sprays (See notes)	Section 9 abcdef	Section 19 abcdef	Section 29 abcdef
Spiders, Spoons, Quills	Section 10 a b c	not applicable	not applicable
Any other types	Section 11	Section 20	Section 30
Charms, Cascades	Section 12 a b	Not applicable	not applicable
Large October Flowering	not applicable	Section 16	not applicable
Garden Charms	not applicable	not applicable	Section 22 abcdef
Explanatory notes:
Sprays and Garden Charms have the following sub sections a - anemone b - pompons c - reflexed d - singles e - intermediate f - spiders, spoons, quills (single or double)     and any other type Spiders, Spoons Quills a - Spiders b - Quills c - Spoons		Pompons come in  two types a - True poms (perfect ball of hard florets) b - semi poms (half sphere with flat base) Charms and Cascades (section 12) a - represents Charms b - represents Cascades All other Sections a - represents large flowered b - represents medium flowered c - represents small flowered