Dahlia Sunny Boy

Dahlia 'Sunny Boy' stands out with the flamboyant colour of its pompom flowers. The small round flowers display an intense shade of yellow that is enhanced by a bright red heart. Reaching a height of 1m (3ft), this remarkably floriferous variety is perfect for creating unique bouquets.

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.

The 'Sunny Boy' variety will not exceed 1m (3ft) in height and 50cm (20in) in diameter. It is classified as a pompon dahlia, which is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the heads are modest in size but produced abundantly, and the tubular ligules form a perfectly spherical inflorescence that has a honeycomb-like structure. The flowers of 'Sunny Boy' are approximately 8cm (3in) in diameter. The ligules are bright yellow, sometimes touched with red, and those in the centre are distinctly red. The golden heart of the flower only appears late, just before withering. The flowering period is from July to October. The habit is bushy and upright. The highly branched stems are hollow. The leaves are opposite and pinnatisect, meaning that they are divided into 3 or 5 very toothed lobes. The leaves and stems are dark green.

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

'Sunny Boy' pairs particularly well with white and pale-yellow flowers, or even red ones. In flower beds, it will create warm and bright spots with echinaceas, for example, which bloom at the same time. It also works well with hemerocallis or asters. This variety is perfect for bouquets.

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.