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BeddingHerbaceous Perennial

Dahlia 'Hadrian's Sunset' (Sin)
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

dahlia 'Hadrian's Sunset'

A compact, bushy, clump-forming, tuberous, deciduous herbaceous perennial with feathery, fern-like dark purple leaves. Single, orange-bronze flowers with a darker eye appear from summer through to autumn and contrast well with the foliage. Great for pots and flower borders

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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
1–2 years
Ultimate spread
0.5–1 metres
Growing conditions
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Purple
Summer Bronze Orange Purple
Autumn Bronze Orange Purple
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
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

Unresolved

Horticultural Group
Single-flowered dahlias have flowerheads usually less than 10cm across, with one or two rows of spreading ray florets, surrounding a central boss of small tubular disc florets which are valuable for bees and butterflies

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil, enriched with organic matter and general purpose fertiliser, in full sun. Pinch out growing tips to encourage bushy plants and stake. 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 for further advice

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
  • Wildlife gardens
  • 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. 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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