Overview
Dahlia 'White Swan' is a perennial in the genus Dahlia, part of the Asteraceae family. Dahlia 'White Swan' grows best in full sun, and tolerates well-drained and fertile soils and neutral to slightly acidic pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H4. Suggested uses include borders, cut flowers and containers.
About
Dahlia 'White Swan' is a perennial cultivar of the Dahlia genus, known for its bushy, tuberous habit. As a member of the Asteraceae family, it thrives in full sun and prefers well-drained, fertile soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. This cultivar is hardy in the UK (H4) and is suitable for borders, containers, and cut flowers. Plant tubers in spring after the risk of frost, provide support for tall stems, and deadhead to encourage continuous flowering. After the first frost, cut back the plant to maintain its health.
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
- well-drained, fertile
- Soil pH
- neutral to slightly acidic
- Soil moisture
- moist but well-drained
- UK hardiness
- H4
Plant details
Dahlia 'White Swan' size, habit and characteristics
- Plant type
- perennial
- Suggested uses
- borders, cut flowers, containers
Care notes
Pruning and caring for Dahlia 'White Swan'
- Cultivation
- Plant tubers in spring after risk of frost; provide support for tall stems; deadhead to encourage flowering.
- Pruning
- Remove spent flowers; cut back after first frost.
- Propagation
- tuber division, cuttings
Frequently asked questions
How do I grow Dahlia 'White Swan'?
Plant tubers in spring after risk of frost; provide support for tall stems; deadhead to encourage flowering.
Where is the best place to plant Dahlia 'White Swan'?
Dahlia 'White Swan' prefers full sun.
What soil does Dahlia 'White Swan' need?
Dahlia 'White Swan' grows best in well-drained and fertile soil. It prefers neutral to slightly acidic soil. Aim for soil that stays moist but well-drained.
How do I prune Dahlia 'White Swan'?
Remove spent flowers; cut back after first frost.
Is Dahlia 'White Swan' hardy in the UK?
Dahlia 'White Swan' has an RHS hardiness rating of H4, meaning it is hardy through an average UK winter, tolerating -10 to -5°C.
How do I propagate Dahlia 'White Swan'?
Tuber division, cuttings.
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)