Dahlia 'Kingsblood' (D) — Bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial

Overview

Dahlia 'Kingsblood' (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 'Kingsblood' (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 'Kingsblood' is a well-branched, clump-forming, tuberous herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae, grown for its long summer–autumn display. It flowers from July to October. The plant prefers full sun on a south-facing, sheltered site in loam with a neutral pH that remains moist but drains freely. Foliage is green and can occasionally be darker, and it is suited to borders, containers and 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 'Kingsblood' is a tuberous herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae that produces a season of blooms from July to October. Its clump-forming habit carries several stems from each tuber, and the foliage is typically green with occasional darker leaves. Grow it where it will receive full sun on a south-facing, sheltered aspect; those site elements support steady flowering through the summer into autumn. Plant into a loam-based soil with a neutral pH that holds moisture yet drains well, avoiding very waterlogged spots. The RHS-style hardiness rating H4 equates to average winter hardiness across the UK, so consider this when choosing its position in colder microclimates. Good exposure and a sheltered aspect reduce the risk of wind damage to flower stems. Use Dahlia 'Kingsblood' in mixed borders where its summer-to-autumn flowering extends the season, in containers on a sunny patio, or as a source of cut blooms for display. The occasional darker foliage provides contrast against paler-leaved neighbours. Flowers appearing from July to October give a sustained run of blooms useful for cutting and late-season colour.