Dahlia 'Sunshine Girl' (Col)
dahlia 'Sunshine Girl'
An upright, clump-forming, bushy tuberous perennial with dark green leaves. Single white flowers with a creamy white collar and yellow centres appear on upright stems from summer though until the first frosts of autumn.
Size
Ultimate height
1–1.5 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
1–1.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | White Cream Yellow | Green | ||
| Autumn | White Cream Yellow | Green | ||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H3Botanical details
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy, Clump forming, Columnar upright
- Genus
Dahlia are tuberous rooted perennials with pinnately divided leaves and showy flowerheads, double in many cultivars, in summer and autumn
- Name status
Accepted
- Horticultural Group
- Collerette-flowered dahlias have a single outer row of flat ray florets, with an inner ring of shorter florets surrounding the central disk florets
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil, enriched with organic matter, in full sun. Pinch out growing tips to encourage bushy plants and stake - see staking perennials. Water as needed in dry periods. Lift and store tubers in autumn to replant, or use as a source of cuttings, in spring. See dahlia cultivation and our video How to plant dahlia tubers and care tips
Propagation
Propagate by softwood cuttings taken in spring from shoots from stored tubers, or divide the tubers ensuring each division has a viable bud
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Patio and container plants
- Bedding
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
Deadhead to prolong flowering. Cut back to near ground level in the autumn, before lifting and storing for the winter
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids, leaf miners, glasshouse red spider mite and slugs. Earwigs sometimes damage blooms and capsid bugs and caterpillars are occasional pests
Diseases
May be susceptible to powdery mildews in dry conditions and grey moulds and other fungal rots in wet conditions. Fungal rots can also damage stored tubers and a virus can cause stunting, leaf markings and distortion
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.