Dahlia 'Star Elite' (C) — Bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial

Overview

Dahlia 'Star Elite' (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 'Star Elite' (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. It is native to Western South America, Mexico and Central America.

About

Dahlia 'Star Elite' is a tuberous, clump-forming herbaceous perennial that flowers from July to October. It has a well-branched habit with green, occasionally darker foliage and is grown for summer–autumn blooms. Plant it in full sun on a south-facing, sheltered site in neutral loam kept moist but well drained. Use in borders, containers or as a source of cut flowers.

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 'Star Elite' traces its ancestry to western South America, Mexico and Central America and belongs to the Asteraceae family. As a tuberous, clump-forming perennial it produces its display from July to October, supplying late-summer and autumn interest when many other perennials are winding down. Choose a sunny, south-facing spot with protection from strong exposure; the plant prefers full sun and a sheltered position. A neutral loam that remains moist yet drains freely suits it best—avoid waterlogged areas. In UK hardiness terms it is H4 (average), so site selection and winter management should reflect that rating. Dahlia 'Star Elite' works well at the front or middle of mixed borders, in large containers where soil can be kept consistently moist but not sodden, and as a reliable source of cut stems for arrangements. Stems cut at the height of flowering tend to hold up well in vases, making it useful for gardeners who want both garden display and indoor blooms. Regular feeding through the season will support sustained flowering from July to October.