An investigation entitled “Performance of spray chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev) cultivars in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh” was conducted during August 2015 to January 2016 at the Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, RVSKVV, Gwalior- K.N.K. College of Horticulture, Mandsaur, (M.P.). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications. Ten spray chrysanthemum cultivars viz., Jayanti, Pusa Chitraksha, Lal Pari, Haldighatti, White Prolific, Yellow Gold, Basanti, Pusa Anmol, Himanhsu and Shanti were used for the experiment. Maximum plant height (62.67 cm), plant spread (13.23 cm) and, leaf length (7.30 cm) were recorded by the cv. Yellow Gold, which also recorded the longest vase life (25.33 days). The maximum number of branches per plant (10.00), length of branches (11.33 cm) and maximum number of leaves per plant (74.00) were recorded by the cv. Shanti. The minimum plant height (29.00 cm) was recorded by the cv. Basanti while the minimum plant spread (10.00 cm), the minimum number of branches per plant (4.33), the minimum number of leaves per plant (51.00) and the minimum leaf length (4.17 cm) were recorded by the cv. Jayanti. The earliest first flower bud appearance (33.00 days) and first flower opening (70.00 days) was recorded by cv. Basanti, which also recorded the maximum number of flowers per plant (213.00). The most delayed first flower bud appearance (72.00 days) was observed in the cv. Yellow Gold. The most delayed first flower opening (88 days) was observed in the cv. Lal Pari. The cv. Pusa Anmol recorded the maximum flower diameter (5.93 cm) while the cv. Basanti recorded the minimum flower diameter (3.27 cm). The longest flowering duration was recorded by the cv. Haldighatti (46.00 days) while the shortest flowering duration (28.00) days) was observed in the cv. Lal Pari.
The cv. Yellow Gold is suitable for bedding purpose and also to obtain flowers for vase decoration in the Malwa region. However the cv. Haldighatti with the longest flower duration is the most suitable for garden decoration for a long time.