Dahlia 'Bracken Lorelei' (WL) — Bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial

Overview

Dahlia 'Bracken Lorelei' (WL) is a bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial bedding in the genus Dahlia, part of the Asteraceae family, with green, occasionally dark-leaved foliage. Dahlia 'Bracken Lorelei' (WL) grows best in full sun, and tolerates loam soils and neutral pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H4. Suggested uses include borders, containers and cut flowers.

About

Dahlia 'Bracken Lorelei' is a tuberous, clump-forming herbaceous perennial dahlia with a long flowering season from July to October. It carries green foliage that may sometimes be darker on individual plants. Grow it in full sun on loam of neutral pH that remains moist but well drained, in a south-facing, sheltered position. Use it in borders, containers or for cutting to bring summer and early autumn blooms indoors.

About the genus

Dahlias come from the high meadows of Mexico, and somewhere in that heritage is the explanation for how they behave here: tender to frost, hungry, generous beyond all reason. No other plant gives you quite so much for so little. One tuber, planted after the last frost, becomes a shrub's worth of flowers by August — and the more you cut, the more they come.The range is faintly ridiculous. Tight pompoms, spiky cactus types, singles the bees adore, dinner-plates the size of your face. Whatever your garden's mood, there is a dahlia that agrees with it, which is probably why every generation falls out of love with them and then, a decade later, falls straight back in.They're at their best when much of the garden is winding down — late summer into autumn, flowering hard until the first frost calls time. I think of them as the encore. And they always play it.

Written by Henry

In the garden

Dahlia 'Bracken Lorelei' sits within the genus Dahlia (family Asteraceae) and establishes each year from tuberous roots to form a compact clump of stems and leaves. Flowering runs from July to October, making it a summer-to-autumn supplier of blooms for the garden or the vase. Place Dahlia 'Bracken Lorelei' in a full-sun, south-facing spot that is sheltered from prevailing winds. It prefers a loam soil of neutral pH that stays moist but drains freely; avoid waterlogged hollows. The plant is rated H4 (average) for UK hardiness, so it suits most gardens with moderate winters but benefits from a protected position in more exposed sites. Use the dahlia in mixed borders where a steady succession of flowers is wanted, in larger containers on a sunny patio, or planted specifically for cut flowers. The foliage is green and can appear darker on some cultivars, which can add subtle contrast against paler-leaved neighbours. Allow the summer flush to develop into a run of stems for cutting between July and October to get the most from its flowering season.