Size
Ultimate height
1–1.5 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.5–1 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
Spring | Green | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | Pink | Green | ||
Autumn | Pink | Green | ||
Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed Hardiness
H3Botanical 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
Accepted
- Horticultural Group
- Ball dahlias have rounded, fully double flowerheads with partly incurved florets
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
- 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, dahlia mosaic virus, cucumber mosaic virus, tomato spotted wilt virus, storage rots, leafy gall, crown gall, dahlia smut, grey moulds, fungal leaf spot, phytophthora, sclerotinia, verticillium wilts, and virus diseases
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.