a homecoming mum. Mums were originally simple flowers or chrysanthemums given to a girl by her date. By the 1970s, mums began to bloom. The homecoming mums began to get larger and more elaborate.

As homecoming events grew, so did the mums, and it became customary for boys to give their dates a chrysanthemum corsage. Originally simple, with a small flower and a few ribbons, the mum evolved ...