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Herbaceous Perennial

Dahlia 'Yellow Sunburst' (S-c)

dahlia 'Yellow Sunburst'

A herbaceous perennial up to 1m high, with divided green leaves, and orange-tinged, golden yellow semi-cactus flowers, 25cm across, in summer

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

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: Semi-cactus dahlias have fully double flowerheads with narrow, pointed, straight or incurved ray florets broader at the base

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil, enriched with organic matter, in full sun; may require support (see staking perennials). Lift and store tubers in autumn to replant or use as a source of cuttings in spring. Poor flowering may be caused by overfeeding with high nitrogen fertilisers, not enough direct sunshine or not enough moisture at the roots. For more advice, see dahlia cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings taken in spring from shoots from stored tubers, or divide the tubers, ensuring that each division has a viable bud

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
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, capsid bug, earwigs, caterpillars, slugs and glasshouse red spider mite

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews, dahlia mosaic virus, cucumber mosaic virus, tomato spotted wilt virus, storage rots, and leafy gall

Get involved

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