Dahlia Zahra

The 'Zahra' Anemone-flowered Dahlia bears very pretty pastel flowers, in a harmonious blend of creamy white and yellow. Of modest stature, this variety easily finds its place in flower beds or low bushes. Bright, its flowers also have a lot of charm in floral compositions.

Dahlias are part of the Asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. At present, the thousands of horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, to our great pleasure, gardens all over the world. These are plants with fleshy tubers that are not very hardy. Dahlias are classified according to the shape of their flower. 'Zahra', registered in the Netherlands in 2021, is classified in the category of Anemone-flowered Dahlias. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head are arranged in pompoms in the centre and surrounded by a collar of longer and wider ligules. In this variety, the heads are 12cm (5in) in diameter and the outer ligules, creamy white in colour, are slightly trailing, arranged in a well-double collar. The ligules in the centre are shorter, tubular, and fringed, tightly packed against each other like a cushion. Their colour changes from yellow to pale yellow over time. Flowering takes place from July to October. The plant will reach a height of 90cm (35in), with a bushy and dense habit. The highly branched stems are hollow and the leaves are divided into 3 or 5 leaflets, which are toothed. The leaves and stems are a medium green.

To encourage repeat flowering and extend the flowering period, take care to remove faded flowers. Better yet, regularly create attractive colourful bouquets by combining various varieties. The flowering of this 'Zahra' variety will be enhanced by the foliage and delicate spikes of grasses (Briza, Panicum, Molinia, Calamagrostis) to emphasize the contrast between the delicacy of the tall grasses and the more sophisticated character of its flower. The flowering of Amaranthus, Agastaches, and Echinaceas is perfect as an accompaniment to Dahlias, as they occur simultaneously, as well as the flowering of Cosmos or asters, for example.

As a star plant in ornamental gardens, Dahlias are undoubtedly beautiful flowers. Impeccable in flower beds, they can also enhance the vegetable garden. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was first cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor taste qualities quickly assigned it the status of an ornamental plant.