Dahlia Black Touch

Dahlia 'Black Touch' has ligulate petals that are tapered and end in forked tips, giving the inflorescence a neatly tousled appearance. Its rich garnet red colour is populated with black reflections at the heart, which also reveal a few small greenish petals. This tall variety will benefit from being pinched to withstand the wind and produce more flowers. It blooms from July until the first frosts if faded flowers are regularly removed. It is perfect in the background of flower beds, accompanied by tall ornamental grasses and tall asters. The cut flowers are sublime in bouquets.

Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. There are currently thousands of horticultural varieties that have conquered gardens worldwide. They are tender perennials with fleshy tubers.

'Black Touch' will reach up to 1.5m (5ft) in height if the plant grows freely, and about 1.2m (4ft) if pinched during vegetative growth. It has a spread of 60cm (24in). It is classified as a fimbriated dahlia. This is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the tips of the petals seem to have been cut into forks. It flowers from July to October-November. The heads measure 12 to 14cm (5 to 6in) in diameter. The dark red ligules are marked with purple-pink and black. The habit is bushy and erect, and the highly branched stems are hollow. Its leaves are opposite and pinnately compound, meaning they are divided into 3 or 5 strongly toothed lobes. The leaves are medium green and the stems are purplish.

Remove faded flowers to encourage new blooms. You can use cut flowers to make colourful bouquets, combining them with other varieties. 

'Black Touch' pairs particularly well with pink blooms, especially those of repeat-flowering roses (Rosa 'The Fairy', R. Pink Knock Out) or asters (Aster lateriflorus 'Horizontalis'). In a flower bed, it will perfectly match Geranium 'Blue Cloud', pink echinaceas, heleniums, and pastel-toned cosmos, for example. It will also create a beautiful combination with sedums and miscanthus.

Dahlias are stars of borders and ornamental gardens, confidently accompanying the most beautiful flowers. However, they are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was first cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor taste qualities quickly saw it categorised as an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.