Overview
Dahlia 'Penhill Deon Maritz' (D) is a clump forming bedding in the genus Dahlia, part of the Asteraceae family, with deciduous foliage. Dahlia 'Penhill Deon Maritz' (D) grows best in full sun, and tolerates most soils and any pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H3. Suggested uses include city and courtyard gardens, coastal, cottage and informal garden and patio and container plants.
About
Dahlia 'Penhill Deon Maritz' is a clump-forming bedding, herbaceous perennial that flowers from July to October. It has deciduous foliage and performs best in full sun on south- or west-facing, sheltered sites. Suited to clay, loam or sandy soils with a neutral to acid or alkaline pH, it prefers moist but well-drained conditions. Use it in city courtyards, coastal plots, cottage borders or in patio containers where summer and autumn blooms are wanted.
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 'Penhill Deon Maritz' is a cultivated dahlia selected for garden use as a bedding and herbaceous perennial. It forms a definite clump and produces its flowering display from July to October, making it a reliable source of late-summer and early-autumn blooms for planted schemes. Plant in a sunny, sheltered position — a south- or west-facing aspect suits it best. It tolerates a wide range of soils (clay, loam or sand) and a broad soil pH from acid to alkaline; aim for a moist but well-drained soil rather than waterlogged ground. Exposure to wind should be limited, so position it where surrounding walls or structures give shelter. Hardiness is H3, which equates to borderline hardy in UK terms; provide winter protection or lift tubers in the coldest areas if you cannot give frost-free shelter. The plant's deciduous habit means foliage dies back after the season, so clear stems away before winter or cut back in spring as growth resumes. Recommended uses include city and courtyard gardens, coastal sites, cottage and informal borders, and patio containers — its long flowering run from July to October is especially useful for extending seasonal interest where summer containers or borders are being planned.
Growing conditions
Best soil and position for Dahlia
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H3
Plant details
Dahlia 'Penhill Deon Maritz' (D) size, habit and characteristics
- Plant type
- Bedding, Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants
Care notes
Pruning and caring for Dahlia 'Penhill Deon Maritz' (D)
- Propagation
- Propagate by softwood cuttings taken in spring from shoots from stored tubers, or divide the tubers ensuring each division has a viable bud
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids, leaf miners, glasshouse red spider mite and slugs. Earwigs sometimes damage blooms. Capsid bug and caterpillars are occasional pests
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to powdery mildews in dry conditions. In wet weather grey moulds and other fungal rots can be a problem. Fungal rots can also damage stored tubers. A virus may cause stunting, leaf markings and distortion
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to plant Dahlia 'Penhill Deon Maritz' (D)?
Dahlia 'Penhill Deon Maritz' (D) prefers full sun. It suits sheltered positions.
What soil does Dahlia 'Penhill Deon Maritz' (D) need?
Dahlia 'Penhill Deon Maritz' (D) is adaptable and grows happily in most soil types, including clay, loam and sand. It is happy in soil of any pH. Aim for soil that stays moist but well-drained to well-drained.
Is Dahlia 'Penhill Deon Maritz' (D) hardy in the UK?
Dahlia 'Penhill Deon Maritz' (D) has an RHS hardiness rating of H3, meaning it is half-hardy, tolerating -5 to 1°C, and may need winter protection in colder areas.
How do I propagate Dahlia 'Penhill Deon Maritz' (D)?
Propagate by softwood cuttings taken in spring from shoots from stored tubers, or divide the tubers ensuring each division has a viable bud.
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)