Dahlia Kiev

Dahlia 'Kiev' is a charming variety that enchants with its pleasantly tousled flowers in pastel tones. They are white with pink nuances. The flowers bloom in abundance from summer until the first frosts, on a rather stocky bushy plant. This variety will bring an elegant touch to sunny flower beds and floral compositions.

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.

'Kiev' was registered in 2010. The plant forms a 90cm (35in) tall clump that is about 60cm (24in) wide. It is classified as a semi-cactus decorative dahlia, a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head partially curl up for at least 1/3 of their length. This dahlia has ligules that curl up at their tips, becoming flatter at the base. Flowering begins in July and ends in October-November. The heads measure 20cm (8in) in diameter, and the white ligules are widely tinged with pastel pink, with the heart of the flower warmed by cream. The habit is bushy and erect, and the branched stems are hollow. Its leaves are opposite and divided into 3 or 5 toothed lobes. The leaves are a medium green and the stems are green, somewhat tinged with purple.

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

The cut flowers are ideal with white lilies and arums to create wedding bouquets. In the garden, it blends well with perennial flower beds. It pairs particularly well with pink, mauve, and white blooms, especially those of roses and perennial salvias. In a flower bed, it will perfectly match large "thistles" (cardoon and artichoke), Japanese anemones, fennels, and cosmos, for example. It will look wonderful with tall 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.