Dahlia Christo

Dahlia 'Christo' is a decorative dahlia with well-double flowers of medium size, in a beautiful cream white to chalk white colour, with a diffuse halo of tender pink or sometimes beige or buttery yellow, varying between flowers. The foliage is medium green. Its sturdy stems are quite tall and carry the flowers well above the foliage. Its bright and abundant flowering lasts from July until the first frost.

Dahlias are tuberous plants belonging to the large Asteraceae family, originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, the thousands of horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded gardens worldwide, much to our delight. Dahlias are classified based on the shape of their flowers. 'Christo' belongs to the category of decorative dahlias. In this group, the colourful ligules of the head are arranged regularly in a spiral, they can be curved towards the stem or even fringed. In this variety, the heads measure 15cm (6in) in diameter and the ligules are oval, quite wide, pointed, and slightly trailing. Flowering occurs from July to October-November. The plant reaches an average height of 1.20m (4ft) and a width of 50 to 60cm (20 to 24in), with a bushy and upright habit. The highly branched stems are hollow and the leaves are opposite and pinnatisect, meaning they divide into 3 or 5 leaflets, which have very denticulate lobes. The leaves are medium green, like the stems, and particularly sturdy.

If you take care to remove the faded flowers, you will enjoy a prolonged flowering. Even better, create beautiful dense bouquets with these generous dahlias by combining various varieties. Lighten the silhouette of decorative dahlias by pairing them with more airy flowers such as Gauras, salvias, or Echinaceas. Fine-leaved plants like ornamental grasses play the same role, in addition to adding beautiful golden spikes. Place 'Christo' in the middle of a bed of lower shrubs and perennials. Shrubs with purple foliage like Loropetalum provide a beautiful backdrop for this pink variety.

As the star plant in cottage gardens, Dahlias are undoubtedly beautiful flowers. They are perfect in flower beds but can also enhance vegetable gardens. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was initially cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor taste quickly relegated it to the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, the fascination for their beautiful exuberance has never waned.