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

Overview

Dahlia 'Masterclass' (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 'Masterclass' (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 'Masterclass' is a tuberous, clump-forming herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae grown for a long flowering season from July to October. Plants produce multiple stems from a compact clump with green, occasionally darker, foliage and flower stems suited to cutting. It performs best in full sun on neutral loam that is moist but drains freely and in a south-facing, sheltered position. Recommended uses include borders, larger containers and cut-flower production.

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 'Masterclass' is a cultivar of Dahlia in the Asteraceae and is grown for its extended summer to autumn display, flowering from July to October. The plant forms a tuberous, clump-forming perennial that sends up multiple flowering stems over the season; foliage is normally green and can be occasionally darker. Care focuses on site and soil: give it full sun in a south-facing, sheltered spot and a loam soil with neutral pH that remains moist but never waterlogged. Good drainage is important because the roots are tuberous, and a sheltered aspect reduces wind damage to the flower stems. This cultivar is classed H4, which equates to average hardiness across much of the UK, so it suits many gardens when sited appropriately. It is well placed at the front to mid border where the season-long blooms can be seen, in larger patio containers that match its root volume, or specifically grown for cutting to bring into the house. The plant’s green or occasionally dark-leaved foliage provides a steady backdrop to the season’s flower stems, making it straightforward to plan complementary planting nearby or choose stems for vases.