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

Overview

Dahlia 'Purplicious' (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 'Purplicious' (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 'Purplicious' is a clump-forming, tuberous herbaceous perennial that flowers from July to October. It carries green foliage that can be darker on some plants and produces well-branched stems. Plant in full sun on loam of neutral pH that remains moist but drains; a south-facing, sheltered site suits it. Hardiness is H4 (average) for UK conditions.

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 'Purplicious' is a named selection within the genus Dahlia, grown for its summer–autumn flowering. As a tuberous, herbaceous perennial it regrows from tubers and forms a clump of well-branched stems with green, sometimes darker, leaves. Flowers are produced steadily between July and October. Site and soil will determine how well individual plants perform. Choose a full-sun position on loam with a neutral pH that holds moisture yet drains; avoid waterlogged pockets. A south-facing spot with shelter from strong winds reduces stem breakage and exposure stress. The plant’s UK hardiness is H4, which is classed as average for the region, so select a protected situation in colder gardens. Dahlia 'Purplicious' suits mixed borders, large containers and cutting beds where regular blooms are wanted through late summer into autumn. Place it where its flowering season complements later-blooming perennials or where stems are easy to harvest for vases. Flowers from July to October make it especially useful for late-summer and early-autumn cutting.