Overview
Dahlia 'White Aster' is a plant with a clump forming habit in the genus Dahlia, part of the Asteraceae family, with deciduous foliage. Dahlia 'White Aster' grows best in full sun, and tolerates loam soils and neutral pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H1b. Suggested uses include bedding, cut flowers and flower borders and beds.
About
Dahlia 'White Aster' is a clump-forming cultivar of the Dahlia genus, which comprises bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennials native to Mexico and Central America. This deciduous plant thrives in full sun with a south-facing, sheltered aspect, preferring moist but well-drained loam soil with a neutral pH. Hardy to UK zone H1b, it is suitable for use in bedding, flower borders and beds, as well as for cut flowers. Propagation can be achieved through softwood cuttings or division.
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
Growing conditions
Best soil and position for Dahlia
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Loam
- Soil pH
- Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H1b
Plant details
Dahlia 'White Aster' size, habit and characteristics
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Suggested uses
- Bedding, Cut flowers, Flower borders and beds
Care notes
Pruning and caring for Dahlia 'White Aster'
- Propagation
- Softwood cuttings, Division
- Pest resistance
- Aphids, Leaf miners, Glasshouse red spider mite, Slugs, Earwigs, Capsid bug, Caterpillars
- Disease resistance
- Powdery mildew, Grey moulds, Fungal rots, Virus
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to plant Dahlia 'White Aster'?
Dahlia 'White Aster' prefers full sun. It suits sheltered positions.
What soil does Dahlia 'White Aster' need?
Dahlia 'White Aster' grows best in loam soil. It prefers neutral soil. Aim for soil that stays moist but well-drained.
Is Dahlia 'White Aster' hardy in the UK?
Dahlia 'White Aster' has an RHS hardiness rating of H1b, meaning it needs subtropical warmth of 10–15°C and must be grown under glass in the UK.
How do I propagate Dahlia 'White Aster'?
Softwood cuttings, Division.
From the Fenn Plants journal
- Notes on DaffodilsWhen to plant daffodil bulbs in the UK, how deep, how to naturalise them in grass, why daffodils stop flowering (“blindness”), and why you should never mix cut daffodils with other flowers.
- Keeping Your NerveHow to garden through a heatwave — the best time to water, why deep soaks beat daily sprinkles, caring for pots and vulnerable plants, and why you can let the lawn go brown.
- Made to LastHow to clean, store and protect garden pots and planters — the frost-proof vs frost-resistant difference, winter care for terracotta and ceramic, and how to reuse a broken pot.
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)