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BeddingHerbaceous Perennial

Dahlia 'Hootenanny - Swan Island' (Col)
  • RHS AGM
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

dahlia 'Hootenanny - Swan Island'

A tuberous perennial to around 1m tall with serrated green leaves. Flowerheads have warm red outer petals and tousled narrow inner petals with a hint of white around the centre with a dark eye that opens to yellow stamens

Other common names
dahlia 'Hootenanny'
Synonyms
Dahlia 'Hootenanny'
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Size
Ultimate height
1–1.5 metres
Time to ultimate height
1–2 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring
Summer Red Green
Autumn Red Green
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or East–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H3
Botanical details
Family
Asteraceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
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 if 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
  • 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 or mulching in milder locations

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, capsid bug, earwigs, caterpillars and glasshouse red spider mite

Diseases

May be susceptible to a virus, tubers may rot in store

Get involved

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