Dahlia Hollyhill Cotton Candy

1 reviews

1,0/5

0 reviews

1 reviews

Here is a variety I adore but have never grown. It arrived in France a few years ago and I was on the lookout for it at PDF. So I pounced on it this spring. Alas! What have you sent me? You can see Cotton Candy in many photos on the web – a large, incurved cactus dahlia (swirling petals) in a pretty sugared-almond pink. I find the photo on your page misleading – it looks like Park Princesse, which I don't like at all. But never mind, a photo can be more or less flattering. So I watched for this long-awaited beauty to open. Instead of Cotton Candy, what opened before me was a tiny cactus dahlia – no more swirly than I am – with flat flowers and a visible centre, all in a sad mauve like an old nightgown. A thoroughly ugly little thing that will go to enrich the compost heap come autumn. I question the authenticity of the varieties offered for sale. Previously, I had never had an error with dahlias from you. And then two last year, and two this year (Sumatra received instead of Renato Tozio!). Do you actually have these varieties, or are some suppliers passing one off as another? As a result, I hesitate to reorder the same ones for fear of ending up with the ugly substitute. What goes on in the dahlia shed in spring? Hercule Poirot would know. In short, disappointed again! The rating is obviously not for Cotton Candy, but for the ugly little imposter passing itself off as it. Please be vigilant – the disappointment is great after months of waiting!

Philippe 87, 22/09/2025

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Bulb size I

4,90 €

Price per item 4,90 €
Price for 3: 12,90 € i.e 4,30 € each

Sku: 235071

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This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty

More information

Spreading flowers, 20 cm in diameter, cactus type, with pointed and curled petals, in a soft pink colour. Cheerful, they bloom from July to October on a young plant with a habit reaching just over 1 m in height. This dahlia adds a fantastic touch of fun colour to sunny borders and floral arrangements.

Flower size

20 cm

Height at maturity

1.10 m

Spread at maturity

50 cm

Exposure

Sun

Hardiness

Hardy down to -4°C

Soil moisture

Moist soil

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Best planting time March to April

Recommended planting time March to May

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Flowering time July to October

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Description

The Dahlia 'Hollyhill Cotton Candy' is a variety of cactus bush with large flowers with rolled and incurved ligules, hence facing upwards, resembling sea anemones, in a soft light pink colour. The center of the flowers is a soft yellow. They are abundantly produced from summer until the first frosts, on a beautiful, fairly tall bushy clump. This variety brings colour and dynamism to sunny beds and floral arrangements.

The Dahlias belong to the aster family, originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. Nowadays, the thousands of horticultural varieties created by humans have taken over, much to our delight, gardens worldwide. They are non-hardy perennials with fleshy tubers. The 'Hollyhill Cotton Candy' variety was introduced in 2010 by Ted and Margaret Kennedy of Hollyhill Dahlias in Oregon City, Oregon. It forms a clump 1.10 m to 1.20 m high and about 50 to 60 cm wide. It is classified among Cactus Dahlias. In this group, the flowers are large, with colourful ligules completely rolled upon themselves, giving them a bristly appearance. The flowering period of this variety starts in July and ends in October-November. The flower heads reach up to 20 cm in diameter. The habit is bushy and erect, with very branching hollow stems. Its leaves are opposite, pinnatisect, meaning they divide into 3 or 5 toothed lobes. The leaves are a vivid green.

By deadheading the faded flowers, you will benefit from an extended flowering period. Even better, create beautiful, dense bouquets with the generous dahlias by combining various varieties. Lighten the dahlias' silhouette by pairing them with airier flowers like gauras, salvias, or Echinaceas. Fine-leaved plants like grasses play the same role and add beautiful golden spikes. Place 'Hollyhill Cotton Candy' in the middle of a shrub and perennial border, alongside lower flowering plants in blue, pink, or salmon hues, such as some daylilies.

As a star plant for borders and cottage gardens, Dahlias confidently accompany the most beautiful flowers, but are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was initially grown as a root vegetable for consumption. However, its poor taste qualities relegated it to the status of an ornamental plant.

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Family sheet

Modified the 24 August 2025 by Virginie T. 19 min.

Dahlia: planting, care and growing tips

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Plant habit

Height at maturity 1.10 m

Spread at maturity 50 cm

Growth rate fast

Flowering

Flower colour pink

Flowering time July to October

Inflorescence Flower head

Flower size 20 cm

Good for cut flowers Cut flower blooms

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous

Foliage colour medium green

Botanical data

Genus

Dahlia

Cultivar

Hollyhill Cotton Candy

Family

Asteraceae

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference • 23507

Planting and care

The Dahlia 'Hollyhill Cotton Candy' is easy to grow in all regions. For abundant flowering, it is good to follow a few simple rules, plant the tubers in a sunny position after the last frosts, rich, fresh and well-drained soils are perfect. However, stagnant moisture would promote tuber rot. Feel free to amend the soil with compost and sand if necessary. Work the soil deeply and enrich it, for example, with crushed horn or dehydrated blood. Place your tuber and crumble the soil well to refill without air pockets. Your dahlia should be covered with about 6 cm of soil. At the end of planting, water abundantly once and then renew this watering regularly during the first 6 weeks to aid in rooting.

Dahlias are sensitive to cold, they need to be overwintered. In November, the first frosts blacken the foliage, it's time to dig them up. Carefully unearth the tubers. Remove as much soil as possible. Let the foliage dry so that the tubers can replenish their reserves. Then cut the stems to 10 cm. Spread your bulbs in a box on a newspaper. Store them away from frost in a dry, cool, dark place, such as a frost-free garage or attic for example. In southern regions, close to the coast, experiencing few days of frost per year, it is possible to leave them in place. In this case, simply cover the ground with a layer of leaves or straw for protection.

Large dahlias, with hollow stems, do not withstand wind or heavy rain well. To overcome this drawback, you can stake them, but, let's agree, it's not very aesthetic. On the other hand, by pinching the stems early or removing the axillary flower buds, you will spread out the plant's habit offering more resistance to bad weather. At the same time, you channel the flow of sap to a single flower that will become larger and stronger.

Planting period

Best planting time March to April

Recommended planting time March to May

Planting depth 12 cm

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow

Type of use Border

Hardiness Hardy down to -4°C (USDA zone 9b) Show map

Ease of cultivation Amateur

Planting density 5 per m2

Exposure Sun

Soil pH Any