Dahlia 'Temptress' (S-c) — Bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial

Overview

Dahlia 'Temptress' (S-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 'Temptress' (S-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 'Temptress' (S-c) is a tuberous, clump-forming bedding and herbaceous perennial grown for summer and autumn flowering. It belongs to the Asteraceae family and may bear green or occasionally darker foliage. Plant in a south-facing, sheltered position in loam soil and provide full sun. Flowers appear from July to October, making it suitable for borders, containers and cutting.

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 'Temptress' (S-c) is a tuberous, clump-forming herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae family, originating from western South America, Mexico and Central America. Grown as a bedding plant, it produces a succession of blooms through the warmer months and into autumn, with foliage that is usually green and sometimes darker on certain cultivars. Position this dahlia in full sun on a south-facing aspect with shelter from prevailing winds. It prefers loam of neutral pH that stays moist but drains freely; avoid waterlogged situations. In the UK it carries an H4 rating (average), so select a protected spot and a free-draining plant medium in containers or border soil to give the best seasonal performance. Use plants in mixed borders where a steady run of flowers from July to October is required, or grow in large containers placed on a sunny patio. It also makes reliable material for cutting; the flowering period covers late summer and early autumn, supplying stems for arrangements during that time. Keep individual plants in well-spaced groups to allow air circulation around the clump and to show off the season-long display.