Dahlia Polar Ice

Dahlia 'Polar Ice' is a variety of dahlia called "ball" with flowers of real freshness, in frills of snow white touched with ivory and chartreuse yellow. They bloom in large numbers on a well-branched plant, carried by good-length stems. Truly luminous in flower beds, they are very pretty in a vase with other white flowers and fern foliage.

Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, the approximately 75,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, much to our delight, gardens worldwide.
The 'Polar Ice' variety, registered in 1992, will reach about 1m (3ft) in height and 60cm (24in) in diameter. It is a decorative group dahlia also classified among the ball dahlias; it is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the heads are of modest size (7 to 9cm (3 to 4in)), but produced in abundance, and the tubular ligules form a perfectly spherical inflorescence that has a honeycomb-like structure. The flowers of 'Polar Ice' are globular and have a diameter of about 10cm (4in). The ligules, white, are washed with a very pale yellow-green, gradually lightening to white on the periphery over the course of the days. The golden heart of the flower only appears late, just before wilting. The abundant flowering takes place from July to October. The habit is bushy and upright. The very branched stems are hollow, and the leaves are opposite, pinnatisect, meaning they are divided into 3 or 5 very toothed lobes. The stems and leaves are of a medium green colour.

To encourage repeat flowering, take care to remove faded flowers, or better yet, regularly make large colourful bouquets by combining it with other varieties. 'Polar Ice' finds its place in flower beds of white, blue, or pale yellow. It pairs perfectly with grasses and bellflowers. Also, associate it with delphiniums that bloom at the same time as well as asters, tall daisies... This variety allows you to enhance bouquets until late in the season.

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 tuber was first cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. But its poor taste qualities relegated it to the rank of ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.