Dahlia
Dahlia spp.
📖 About this plant
A stunning late-summer and fall-blooming tuberous perennial producing an extraordinary range of flower forms and colors. Dahlias come in sizes from tiny pompons to massive dinner-plate blooms exceeding 25 cm across, in every color except true blue. They are prized as cut flowers for their incredible vase life. In cold climates, tubers must be lifted and stored over winter.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun (6-8 hrs)
Every 2-3 days
Moderate (50-65%)
15-25°C
Rich, well-draining sandy loam with plenty of organic matter; pH 6.0-6.5. Heavy clay soil must be amended with compost and sand
Balanced fertilizer (5-10-10) at planting; low-nitrogen fertilizer every 3-4 weeks during growing season; high-potassium fertilizer in late summer for larger blooms; avoid excessive nitrogen
🌐 Common Names
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Mexico, Central America (highlands)
- 📏 Max height
- 30-180 cm depending on variety (from compact bedding types to towering dinner-plate dahlias)
- 📐 Spread
- 45-120 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer - Fall
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Pink, Red, Orange, Yellow, White
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Mildly toxic — tubers and foliage contain compounds that can cause gastrointestinal irritation if ingested in large quantities; skin contact with foliage may cause dermatitis in sensitive individuals
- 🌱 Propagation
- Plant tuberous roots 10-15 cm deep after last frost; take basal cuttings from sprouted tubers in early spring; divide tuber clumps in spring ensuring each division has an eye
🛡️ Health & Safety
Mildly toxic — tubers and foliage contain compounds that can cause gastrointestinal irritation if ingested in large quantities; skin contact with foliage may cause dermatitis in sensitive individuals
Common issues
- Slugs and snails on new growth
- Earwigs and thrips damaging petals
- Powdery mildew in humid conditions
- Tuber rot from poor drainage in storage
💡 Care tips
- Dig up tubers before first frost and store indoors
- Plant tubers after soil has warmed in spring
- Stake tall varieties to prevent wind damage
- Huge blooms come in nearly every color imaginable
