Dahlia 'Carol Klein' (Sin/DwB)

RHS Plant Profile
dahlia 'Carol Klein'
Plants for pollinators
Bedding Herbaceous Perennial

A dark-leaved, tuberous-rooted perennial to 90cm tall bearing single flowers from summer into autumn, with a ring of ray florets coloured yellow at the base shading to pale pink-orange at the centre and tips surrounding a golden brown central disc

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1–2 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H3

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

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
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, 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 basal 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
  • Patio and container plants
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Cut flowers
  • Bedding

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 suscpetible to aphids, capsid bug, earwigs, caterpillars, slugs, glasshouse red spider mite, and onion thrips

Diseases

May be suscpetible to a virus; tubers may rot in storage