Dahlia Pernille

Dahlia 'Pernille' is a bicoloured decorative variety with opulent flowers in a warm shade of orange tinged with red, illuminated by a yellow heart. Its flowers are double and fully open. Depending on the lighting, they appear orange or more red. They are carried high above the foliage by sturdy, dark-coloured stems. It blooms from July until the first frosts. It is an ideal variety for borders and pots.

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.

Dahlias are classified according to the shape of their flowers. 'Pernille' is classified as a decorative dahlia. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head are regularly arranged in a spiral. They can be curved towards the stem or fringed, for example. In this variety, the heads measure 11cm (4in) in diameter. Their ligules are rather large, widely ovate, slightly pleated, almost flat, and loosely arranged. Flowering takes place from July to October-November. Depending on the maturity of the flower, the orange colour of this variety can take on different shades of red. The plant reaches an average height of 60cm (24in), and 40cm (16in) in width. The habit is bushy and upright. The branched stems are hollow. The leaves are opposite and pinnately compound, meaning that they are divided into 3 or 5 leaflets, which form denticulate lobes. The leaves are a fairly dark green and the sturdy stems are tinged with purple.

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

Decorative dahlias in red tones go well with crocosmias, which lighten their generous silhouette. The bicoloured flowers are incredibly versatile. It can be planted in borders, at the foreground of mixed borders, or to structure an ensemble composed of shrubs with handsome foliage (smokebush, compact winged spindle, loropetalum) and compact plants. Echinaceas is a perfect companion, as are perennial sages, for example. Also consider ornamental grasses whose golden spikes or reddish leaves particularly highlight warm-coloured flowers (miscanthus, Stipa arundinacea, panicum).

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.