In Texas, long-standing traditions shine as beacons of light. Friday night lights, that is. The high school football field is hallowed ground where the community comes together in school spirit to cheer their team to victory. And during one particular season every year, all that spirit and tradition takes the form of ostentatiously ribboned floral corsages known simply as “mums.”
Boerne mum artisan Misty Stout admits the hubbub is a bit crazy. “It’s wild, especially if you’re not from around here. But when you go to the games, and you see the kids so happy, it’s incredibly special.” Stout owns That’s What She Said Mums Boerne, a company she began eight years ago after crafting her first arrangement for her oldest son’s homecoming date. She now creates custom mum and garter designs for approximately 350 teens each year alongside her husband, Chris, and a group of talented friends. “My favorites are the boys who come in, wanting to get their dates the best mum ever,” she smiles. “They’re my most particular customers.”
Heather McCoy—the owner of Boerne Homecoming Mums—is a decoration professional and amateur mum historian. McCoy says the tradition began at the University of Missouri in 1911. Baylor University was the first Lone Star school to join, with mums made of fresh chrysanthemums and a bit of ribbon. By the 1920s, high schools had adopted the ritual and eventually took it over. “Of course, once Texas got ahold of it, the whole thing blew up,” McCoy laughs. “Everything’s bigger in Texas.”
Today, Texas teens boldly exhibit their school pride in mums that have evolved from simple corsages to elaborate ribbon displays, with personalized imprinting and embellishments designed to highlight each personality. Silk flowers have replaced fresh, allowing these festive adornments to become forever keepsakes. Bedroom walls boast mum displays, each bigger and better than the year before, all decked out in school colors—except the senior-year mum. Custom dictates that this edition be white and silver only; and the whiter, the better.
But size and grandeur are not the only things that have changed over the decades. “The tradition used to be that a boy asked a girl to homecoming, he gave her a mum, she gave him a garter,” explains Stout. “Now? No rules. It’s 2024. We do what we want.” These days, parents buy mums for their daughters, friends exchange with each other, and sometimes groups of teens even craft them together. “The goal is to have one,” says McCoy. “Boys still ask girls, but the pressure is off. It doesn’t have to be a date thing as much as a friend thing.”
Both mum artisans warn prospective “promposers” not to delay ordering, as the demand is often greater than time allows, especially as the big day approaches. McCoy takes a limited number of reservations and offers DIY kits at crunch time.
In our ever-changing world, where lightning-fast social media trends dominate teen culture, it is hard to believe this 100+ year tradition steeped in good old-fashioned fun has not only survived but thrived. Stout credits Texas moms for sustaining the custom, allowing each new generation to embrace the fanfare. McCoy says the artisans' devotion to the craft has also helped carry it through. “We love seeing these kids light up when they pick up their mums,” McCoy says, smiling. “We love these kids, and we love what we do.”
Misty Stout shesaidboerne.com | @thatswhatshesaid_boerne
Heather McCoy boernemums.com | @boernemums
“The tradition used to be that a boy asked a girl to homecoming... Now? No rules. It’s 2024. We do what we want.” —Misty Stout