Dahlia Table Dancer

Dahlia 'Table Dancer' has ligulate petals that are tapered and end in forked points, giving the inflorescence a neatly tousled appearance. Its medium-sized inflorescences are dotted with white on a light violet to lilac base, with the centre of the flower showing a darker tone. This elegant variety is easy to pair with any flowering plant. It will bloom in sunny flower beds from July until the first frost, if faded flowers are regularly removed. Its flowers are perfect in any bouquet.

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.

'Table Dancer' will reach up to 1.2m (4ft) in height if the plant grows freely, or about 1m (3ft) if pinched during growth. It has a spread of 60cm (24in). It is classified as a fimbriated dahlia, a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the ends of the petals are forked. Flowering begins in July and ends in October-November. The heads measure 12 to 15cm (5 to 6in) in diameter, with deep mauve to violet ligules marked with white at their ends. The habit is bushy and erect, and the highly branched stems are hollow. Its leaves are opposite and pinnately compound, meaning they divide into 3 or 5 strongly toothed lobes. The leaves and stems are medium green.

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

'Table Dancer' will be enhanced by brightly coloured or pastel flowers. It pairs particularly well with purple and pink blooms, especially those of repeat-flowering roses (Rosa 'The Fairy', R. Pink Knock Out) or asters. In a flower bed, it will perfectly match red or bright pink penstemons, perennial Geranium 'Blue Cloud' or G. 'Rozanne', pink echinaceas, heleniums, cosmos, and cleomes, for example. It will also make a lovely and unique 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.