Chrysanthemums, sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants in the Asteraceae family. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia, and the center of diversity is in China. Countless horticultural varieties and cultivars exist.
Flowers that resemble chrysanthemums often share the same daisy-like form, with a central disc surrounded by radiating petals. Some have single rows of petals while others feature layered arrangements that bring a fuller, more dramatic presence. Others that look like chrysanthemums often display rounded, globe-shaped blossoms.These blooms are typically dense with overlapping petals that give them a pompon or cushion-like quality.
There are also flowers that mimic the unique forms of spider-type chrysanthemums, with long, narrow petals that curl or twist outward. Because of this close resemblance, they are frequently used as substitutes in arrangements and displays where the traditional look of chrysanthemums is desired but alternatives may be easier to grow or more seasonally available.
Flowers That Look Like Chrysanthemums
Dahlias
Dahlias are close lookalikes due to their layered, symmetrical petals. Some varieties, especially pompon and decorative types, closely resemble chrysanthemums with their full, globe-shaped blooms in bright colors.
Zinnias
Zinnias produce daisy-like or dahlia-like flowers. Double-flowered zinnias often look similar to small chrysanthemums with their dense, layered petals.
Asters
Asters resemble smaller chrysanthemums, especially with their daisy-like flower heads in purple, pink, and white tones, blooming in late summer to fall.
Marigolds (Tagetes)
Certain African marigolds bear large, round flower heads with ruffled petals, closely imitating the fullness of chrysanthemum blooms.
Gerbera Daisies
These produce large, colorful daisy-like flowers with a similar structure to single-flowered chrysanthemums, featuring radiating petals around a central disc.
Coreopsis
Coreopsis flowers, especially double-petaled varieties, mimic the daisy-type chrysanthemum with cheerful yellow blooms.
Cosmos
Cosmos blossoms have the same open, daisy-like form as single chrysanthemum cultivars, with delicate petals radiating from a bright center.
Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan)
Rudbeckia species feature daisy-like blooms resembling certain chrysanthemum cultivars, particularly in their petal arrangement and bright yellow tones.
Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum)
Shasta daisies have a near-identical look to some chrysanthemum types, with their crisp white petals and golden-yellow centers.
Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)
Gaillardias share a similar daisy-like shape with chrysanthemums, but often display bi-colored petals in red, orange, and yellow.
Cineraria
Cineraria blooms often mimic chrysanthemums with their colorful, daisy-like heads and contrasting centers.
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
Tansy’s button-like golden flowers resemble small pompon chrysanthemums, growing in clustered formations.
Heliopsis (False Sunflower)
Heliopsis looks much like large daisy chrysanthemums with its golden-yellow petals and bold centers.
Sunflowers (Certain Varieties)
While giant sunflowers are distinctive, smaller ornamental or double-petaled sunflowers can resemble chrysanthemums with their fluffy, rounded heads.
Bachelor’s Buttons (Centaurea cyanus)
The tufted appearance of bachelor’s buttons mirrors the shaggy petal arrangement of spider-type chrysanthemums.
Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower)
Scabiosa’s rounded, frilly flowers share a striking resemblance to some smaller pompon chrysanthemums.
Golden Marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria)
This daisy-like perennial has cheerful yellow blooms that resemble small chrysanthemum flowers in form and structure.
Helianthus ‘Teddy Bear’
This sunflower cultivar produces fluffy, rounded blooms that look very similar to pompon chrysanthemums.
Pyrethrum (Tanacetum coccineum)
Closely related to chrysanthemums, pyrethrum flowers mimic the daisy-form chrysanthemums in pink, red, and white hues.
Ligularia
Certain Ligularia species produce large, daisy-like golden blooms that resemble wild chrysanthemum flowers.
Townsendia (Easter Daisy)
This alpine daisy resembles miniature chrysanthemums with its low-growing, bright blooms in white and pink shades.