Dahlia Berliner Kleene

The Dwarf Dahlia 'Berliner Kleene' displays bright colours during its very long flowering period. The coral pink illuminated with cream white of the heads will accompany your flower beds throughout the summer and a good part of autumn. The shape of its flowers classifies it in the category of Decorative Dahlias.

Dahlias belong to the large family of Asteraceae; they are initially from the high plateaus of Mexico. At present, the approximately 20,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, to our great pleasure, gardens all over the world. The flowers of Decorative Dahlias are thicker than wide and often large. 'Berliner Kleene' heads are 10 cm (4in) in diameter; they are full and well double. The outermost ligules are slightly tubular and revolute (curved upwards). They are coral pink with cream-white tips. The central florets are shorter and form a tight bud before the end of anthesis. Being a dwarf Dahlia, the compact clump will not exceed 40 cm (16in) in height. The leaves are composed of very denticulate lobes. The almost black stems and the dark green foliage significantly contribute to the plant's decorative effect.
The flowering of Dahlias is exceptionally long; it takes place from July to November. To promote flower reblooming and extend this flowering period, remove faded flowers.

Dahlias are easy to grow but require a minimum of work as the tubers need to be stored in winter. Along the edge of a flower bed, in a border or pots, combine the colours of this dahlia with African Lilies, Shangri La Peach Verbena, create a colour contrast with one of the wide varieties of asters and add a feathery grass for a refined and romantic tableau.

Today, essential in gardens, Dahlias were initially cultivated in Mexico as a root vegetable. Their poor taste quickly assigned them the status of an ornamental plant, but they are still welcome in vegetable gardens to bring colour to the vegetables.