Dahlia 'Royal Yellow' (Ba) (Dahlia) — Bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial

Overview

Dahlia 'Royal Yellow' (Ba) is a bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial bedding in the genus Dahlia, part of the Asteraceae family, with green, occasionally dark-leaved foliage. Dahlia 'Royal Yellow' (Ba) 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 'Royal Yellow' is a clump-forming, tuberous herbaceous perennial grown for summer and autumn blooms. It flowers from July to October and is suited to border and container planting as well as cutting. The plant prefers full sun in a south-facing, sheltered spot and a neutral loam that is moist but well drained. Foliage is generally green and can sometimes be darker on some plants.

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 'Royal Yellow' belongs to the Asteraceae and, like other dahlias, carries tuberous roots and seasonal above-ground growth; the genus originates from Mexico and Central America. This cultivar is raised for bedding and floristry use and forms a clump of stems and leaves each year before going dormant over winter. Flowers appear from July to October, providing a long display through summer into early autumn. Plant in a sunny, south-facing, sheltered site in a neutral loam that holds moisture yet drains freely. Aim for consistently moist but not waterlogged soil; heavy wet soils will reduce vigour. Its UK hardiness is H4 (average), so expect it to perform outdoors across many parts of the UK, but give tubers winter protection or a sheltered microclimate in colder or exposed gardens to avoid frost damage. Use Dahlia 'Royal Yellow' in mixed borders where its seasonal stems and blooms can be cut, or in large containers placed in a sunny, sheltered position. Regular deadheading during the July to October flowering period will maintain bloom production and ensure a steady supply of stems for arrangements through early autumn.