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Dahlia merckii
Bedding dahlia (Dahlia merckii) is a tuberous perennial from Mexico, grown for its single lilac, white or pink late-summer to autumn flowers on plants up to 2.5 m tall. Give it full sun and well-drained soil, and lift or protect the tubers over winter where frosts occur.
Dahlia merckii, Merck's dahlia, is a tuberous species of perennial flowering plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae. This herbaceous plant grows to 2.5 metres (8 feet) in height. It has divided leaves, and in late summer to autumn produces single flowers in shades of lilac, white, and pink.
Native to Mexico, it is hardy only in milder areas which do not suffer prolonged frosts, where tubers may be left in the ground throughout the year, and protected with a mulch in the dormant season. Otherwise tubers must be lifted and stored over winter. They begin to sprout in spring, but must be protected until all danger of frost has passed. Propagation is by seed or cuttings in spring.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Dahlia merckii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
