Dahlia 'Holly Huston' (D) (dahlia 'Holly Huston') — Bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial

Overview

Dahlia 'Holly Huston' (D) is a bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial bedding in the genus Dahlia, part of the Asteraceae family, with green, occasionally dark-leaved foliage. Dahlia 'Holly Huston' (D) 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 'Holly Huston' is a well-branched, clump-forming, tuberous herbaceous perennial grown for summer and autumn flowering. It belongs to the Asteraceae family and carries green foliage that can be occasionally darker on some plants. Plant in a south-facing, sheltered spot in loam with a neutral pH and soil kept moist but well drained. Flowering runs July to October, and the stems are used as cut flowers.

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 'Holly Huston' is a tuberous, herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae family, cultivated as bedding and for summer-to-autumn display. Its habit is clump-forming and well-branched, with green foliage that may appear darker on certain plants. Flowering occurs from July to October, making it a reliable source of blooms through the warmer months and into autumn. Place plants in full sun on loam soil with a neutral pH; the soil should remain moist but well drained to avoid waterlogged tubers. Choose a south-facing, sheltered position to reduce exposure to strong winds and to maximise flowering. The cultivar carries a UK hardiness rating of H4 (average), so site selection and soil conditions are important factors for successful growth in many gardens. Suitable uses include mixed borders, large containers and flower cutting. The foliage provides a consistent backdrop to the blooms, and stems cut for arrangements perform well during the July–October season. Planting with companion perennials that occupy different flowering windows will help maintain interest once the dahlia season ends.