Dahlia 'Maggie C' (S-c) — Bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial

Overview

Dahlia 'Maggie C' (S-c) is a bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial bedding in the genus Dahlia, part of the Asteraceae family, with green, occasionally dark-leaved foliage. Dahlia 'Maggie C' (S-c) 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 'Maggie C' (S-c) is a clump-forming, tuberous herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae that flowers from July to October. It forms a well-branched mound of green foliage, occasionally with darker leaves. Best sited in a south-facing, sheltered spot in full sun, it prefers loam of neutral pH kept moist but well-drained. Suited to borders, containers and cutting for vases.

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 'Maggie C' (S-c) sits within the Dahlia genus of the Asteraceae and behaves as a clump-forming, tuberous herbaceous perennial. It produces foliage that is normally green but can be darker on some plants, and it carries its flowering display from July to October, making it valuable through summer into autumn. Plant in a sunny, south-facing position with some shelter from prevailing winds; dahlias perform best where afternoon sun is reliable. Use a loam-based soil of neutral pH, and keep it moist but never waterlogged — consistent moisture during the growing season supports steady flowering. The cultivar is rated H4 (average) for UK gardens, so it will withstand typical winters in many areas but benefits from siting out of exposed conditions. Place Dahlias in mixed borders where their season extends colour into late summer, or grow in large containers that provide the warm, sheltered aspect they prefer. Cut stems for indoor arrangements between July and October to make the most of their bloom period; regular harvesting also encourages further flowering later in the season.