Dahlia Purple Gem

The Dahlia 'Purple Gem' is a semi-cactus variety that stands out with its large, ruffled flowers in magenta violet. They are produced abundantly from summer until the first frost on a beautiful, tall, bushy clump. This variety brings colour and dynamism to sunny beds and floral compositions.

Dahlias belong to the aster family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, the thousands of horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded gardens worldwide, much to our delight. They are perennial plants with fleshy tubers. The 'Purple Gem' variety forms a clump that reaches 80 cm (32in) to 1 m (3ft) in height and about 50 cm (20in) in width. It is classified as a cactus dahlia, or more precisely, a semi-cactus lace variety; this is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head are incompletely rolled up, at least one-third of their length. This Dahlia has slightly curled ligules at their tips, randomly split, and more flattened at the base. The flowering of this variety begins in July and ends in October-November. The heads measure 15 cm (6in) in diameter. The habit is bushy and upright, with very branched hollow stems. Its leaves are opposite, pinnatisect, dividing into 3 or 5-toothed lobes. The leaves are bright green.

If you remove the faded flowers, you will enjoy a prolonged flowering period. Combine various varieties to create beautiful full bouquets with generous dahlias. Lighten the silhouette of dahlias by pairing them with more airy flowers such as gauras, salvias, or coneflowers. Delicate foliage plants like grasses play the same role and add beautiful golden spikes. Plant 'Purple Gem' in the middle of a bed of bushes and lower perennials, accompanied by blue or pink flowering plants or even salmon-coloured ones like some daylilies.

As a star plant for borders and cottage gardens, Dahlias confidently accompany the most beautiful flowers, but are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. This tuberous plant was initially cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption in Mexico. However, its poor taste qualities relegated it to the rank of an ornamental plant.