Overview

Dahlia Dracula ('Vdtg17'PBR) (Dark Angel Series) (Sin) is a bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial bedding in the genus Dahlia, part of the Asteraceae family, with green, occasionally dark-leaved foliage. Dahlia Dracula ('Vdtg17'PBR) (Dark Angel Series) (Sin) 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 Dracula ('Vdtg17'PBR) (Dark Angel Series) is a tuberous, clump-forming herbaceous perennial that flowers from July to October. It carries green foliage that can be darker on some plants and is grown as bedding and for cutting. Plant in full sun on loam with a neutral pH and soil that remains moist but drains freely. Hardiness H4 (average) makes it suitable for many UK gardens sited in a south-facing, sheltered spot.

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 Dracula ('Vdtg17'PBR) (Dark Angel Series) sits in the Asteraceae family and is raised as a bedding, herbaceous perennial with tuberous roots. It forms a compact clump of shoots and is valued for its midsummer to autumn display, reliably flowering from July to October. The foliage is generally green and can occasionally take on a darker tone. Give this dahlia full sun on a loam soil of neutral pH; the soil should stay moist but be well drained to avoid waterlogging. Position plants in a south-facing, sheltered aspect to match their exposure preference. Hardiness is H4, listed as average, so plants are appropriate for much of the UK where site conditions are not exposed. Use Dahlia Dracula in mixed borders or in large containers where the south-facing aspect can be provided, and cut stems for displays as required. Its clump-forming habit and tuberous growth make it straightforward to group in runs for seasonal impact, and occasional darker foliage forms add subtle variation in leaf tone.

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Dahlia

Sunlight

Full sun

Soil type

Loam

Soil pH

Neutral

Soil moisture

Moist but well-drained

Aspect

South-facing

Exposure

Sheltered

UK hardiness

H4

Plant details

Dahlia Dracula ('Vdtg17'PBR) (Dark Angel Series) (Sin) size, habit and characteristics

Plant type

Bedding, Herbaceous Perennial

Habit

Bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial

Foliage

Green, occasionally dark-leaved

Suggested uses

Borders, containers, cut flowers

Care notes

Pruning and caring for Dahlia Dracula ('Vdtg17'PBR) (Dark Angel Series) (Sin)

Propagation

Division, cuttings, seed

Pest resistance

Generally pest-resistant

Disease resistance

Generally disease-resistant

Frequently asked questions

More in the Dahlia genus

• 
  Dahlia 'Clearview Cameron' (C)
• 
  Dahlia 'Croydon Jumbo' (D)Dahlia
• 
  Dahlia 'Elizabeth Snowden' (Col)
• 
  Dahlia 'Katie's Velvet' (Col)Dahlia
• 
  Dahlia 'LB Michael Braithwaite' (D)
• Dahlia 'Amazing Grace' (Misc)
• Dahlia 'Aurora's Kiss' (Ba)
• Dahlia 'Black Diamond' (Ba)