About

This easy-going perennial to 90cm, with mid-green foliage, flowering from mid-summer until the first frost. A white-flowered selection. The blooms are small pompoms, 5-6cm across, with many neat rows of tightly inrolled, white petals.

About the genus

Dahlia are tuberous rooted perennials with pinnately divided leaves and showy flowerheads, double in many cultivars, in summer and autumn

Growing conditions

SunlightFull sun
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH3

Plant details

Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial
HabitClump forming
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.5-1 metres
Spread0.5-1 metres
Time to full height1 year
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants

Care notes

CultivationGrow in full sun, in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil enriched with organic matter and general-purpose fertiliser. Pinch out growing tips to encourage bushy plants. Water freely in dry periods. Lift and store tubers in autumn to replant, or use as a source of cuttings, in spring. See dahlia cultivation and our video How to plant dahlia tubers and care tips
PruningDeadhead to prolong flowering. Cut back to near ground level in autumn, once frost has damaged foliage, before lifting and storing for the winter
PropagationPropagate by softwood cuttings taken in spring from shoots from stored tubers, or divide the tubers, ensuring each section has at least one viable bud
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids, capsid bugs, caterpillars, earwigs nibbling flowers, glasshouse red spider mite and slugs
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to powdery mildews in dry conditions, fungal rots including grey moulds in wet conditions and in storage, and a virus that causes stunting, leaf markings and distortion