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BeddingHerbaceous Perennial

Dahlia 'Geerlings Beatrice' (Ba)

Tuberous-rooted perennial to 1m in height, with mid-green foliage. Flowering from mid-summer until the first frosts, the rounded blooms have neat rows of tightly inrolled orange petals, forming a flattened ball about 7-9cm across

Synonyms
Dahlia 'Beatrice'

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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
1–2 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Orange Green
Autumn Orange Green
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H3
Botanical details
Family
Asteraceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
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
Ball dahlias have rounded, fully double flowerheads with partly incurved florets

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil, in full sun. Pinch out growing tips to encourage bushy plants and stake taller dahlias, see staking: perennials. Water freely in dry periods. Lift and store tubers in autumn to replant or use as a source of cuttings in spring. See dahlia cultivation

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
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Bedding
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds
Pruning

Deadhead spent flowers to encourage further flowering. Cut back to near ground level in 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. Capsid bug and caterpillars are occasional pests

Diseases

May be susceptible to Powdery mildews in dry conditions. In wet weather grey moulds and other fungal rots can be a problem. Fungal rots can also damage stored tubers. A virus may cause stunting, leaf markings and distortion

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