Dahlia Veritable

The 'Veritable' Dahlia offers beautiful cactus flowers, well double, all bristling with pointed petals, whose purple-violet tips contrast with a white-cream central zone, the head thus formed organizing around a tiny yellow heart. This very bold combination of colors will create an interesting visual impact in the garden or in original bouquets, from the beginning to the end of summer.

Dahlias belong to the asteraceae family and are originally from the Mexican high plateaus. At present, the some 25,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, for our greatest pleasure, gardens all over the world. They are hardy perennial plants with fleshy tubers. The 'True' variety forms a bushy clump 90 cm (35in) to 1 m (3ft) high and 60 cm (24in) wide in 3 to 4 months. This cultivar is part of the decorative dahlias with cactus flowers; it is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the colored ligules of the head incompletely curl up for at least 1/3 of their length. The flowering of this variety begins in July and ends in October. The heads measure 13 to 15 cm (5 to 6in) in diameter. The habit is bushy and erect, and the strong, highly branched stems are hollow and reddish in color. Its leaves are opposite, pinnately divided, meaning they are subdivided into 3 or 5 toothed lobes. The leaves and stems are dark green.

To extend the flowering period and promote repeat flowering, take care to remove faded flowers. Even better, regularly cut them to create alluring colorful bouquets by combining several varieties.

'True' pairs well with the uniform and delicate blooms of phlox paniculata, Salvia jamensis, campanulas, cosmos, as well as with cactus dahlias 'Chat Noir' or 'Colorama'. It also goes particularly well with the wine-colored plumes of foxgloves, castor beans, Ysatis, and large daisies. In borders, it will also blend perfectly with echinaceas, heleniums, and foxtail barley. With sedums and miscanthus, it will also create a lovely original mix.

As a star plant in borders and herb gardens, dahlias confidently accompany the most beautiful flowers but are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was first cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. But its poor taste qualities assigned it the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.