Dahlia Color Spectacle

Dahlia 'Color Spectacle', introduced in 1963, is a beautiful cultivar. Its large flowers display a striking shade of light and pure orange, distinctly and irregularly marked with white. The flowers shine like beacons in the sunlight. This medium-sized variety blooms abundantly from July to October. Its cut flowers are magnificent in 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.

'Color Spectacle' forms a bushy clump that reaches a height of 1.1m (4ft) and a width of 60cm (24in) in just 3 to 4 months. This cultivar belongs to the decorative dahlia group with semi-cactus flowers. It is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. The flowering of this variety begins in July and ends in October. The heads measure 20 to 25cm (8 to 10in) in diameter, with pure orange ligules with a coral-orange base, irregularly marked with white at the tips. The habit is bushy and erect, with strong, highly branched stems that are hollow and purple at the tips. The leaves are opposite, pinnately divided into 3 or 5 toothed lobes. The leaves are a medium green colour.

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

'Color Spectacle' complements the pastel and delicate blooms of phlox paniculata, Salvia leucantha, bellflowers, cosmos, and verbenas. It also pairs particularly well with the wine-red plumes of fox-tail amaranths, castor beans, yarrows, and large daisies. In a mixed border, it will perfectly match echinaceas, heleniums, and fox-tail barley. It will also create a lovely and unique combination with sedums and miscanthus.

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.