Scientific Name:
Dahlia
x
hybrida
Pronunciation:
DAH-lee-ah OR DAL-yuh
Common Name:
dahlia
Family Name:
Asteraceae
Plant Type:
Annual, Flowering cut plant
Key ID Features:
Herbaceous perennial 30cm to 2.4m tall arising from tuberous roots; leaves opposite, most pinnately compound (unlike zinnia), leaflets elliptic-ovate, 10-15cm long x 5-10cm wide, margin toothed; flower heads zinnia-like, most most 5-10cm wide, round to flattened with many ray florets, usually solitary on tall stems but some will form new buds below, all colours except blue and classified by shape.
Habit:
Dense, Spreading, Stiffly upright
Form:
Oval - vertical, Round
Texture:
Coarse
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Central America, Garden origin, Mexico (Unknown parentage involving species originally from Middle America)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 8b: (-9.4 to -7 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Bedding plant, Container planting, Cut flower or foliage, Fall interest, Group or mass planting, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown may include D. 'Bishop of Llandaff'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple, Compound
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Lustrous
Compound Leaf:
Odd-pinnate
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Elliptic, Ovate
Apices:
Rounded
Margins:
Dentate
Inflorescence Type:
Head (capitulum), Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Corolla Shape:
Ligulate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Orange, Yellow, Green-yellow, Green, Violet, Purple, Pink, Magenta, Red, Dark-red, Brown
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Fruit Type:
Achene
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Red
Organ Modifications:
Tuberous roots
Propagation:
Seed, Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
High
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids or adelgids, Blight or needle cast, Caterpillar or cutworm, Earwigs, Fungal leaf spot, Leafhopper or spittlebug, Mildew, Mites, Mold, Root rot, Slugs or snails, Virus, Wilt (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Rabbit resistant)
Course(s):
- HORT 1155
- Level 1 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
- (BED) BEDding, container, or basket
- (HPZ) Horticulture PlaZa : cv. Nights (2016)