Dahlia Boogie Woogie

The Dahlia 'Boogie Woogie' is a decorative dahlia with anemone-like flowers. It has a medium size and compact bushy growth. The large and colourful heads form a frizzy canary yellow pompom heart, sometimes touched with crimson, resting on a plate of wider ligules, white and widely streaked with pink. It blooms for a long time, from summer to autumn, above abundant foliage of deep blue-green. This whimsical yet delightful variety pairs particularly well with grasses, in the background of perennial beds. Its flowers can be used to create unique bouquets.

Dahlias are tuberous plants from the large Asteraceae family, originally native to the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, the approximately 20,000 horticultural varieties created by humans have invaded gardens worldwide, much to our delight. Dahlias are classified based on the shape of their flowers. 'Boogie Woogie' falls into the category of decorative dahlias with anemone-like flowers. In this group, the colourful ligules of the flowerhead are arranged in pompoms in the centre and surrounded by a collar of wider petals. In this variety, the heads are 9 cm (4in) in diameter and the outermost ligules are flat, variegated with white and purplish pink, while those in the centre are bright yellow, tinged with red in the pompom heart. Flowering occurs from July to October. The plant will reach a height of 75 to 85 cm (30 to 34in), and a width of 50 cm (20in), with a bushy and upright habit. The very branched stems are hollow, and the leaves are opposite, divided into 3 or 5 leaflets, which have very toothed lobes. The leaves and stems are a very dark green, slightly bluish, a shade that enhances the colour of the flowers.

To promote reblooming and extend the flowering period, make sure to remove faded flowers. Even better, regularly create attractive colourful bouquets by combining various varieties. The vibrant flowering of this variety deserves to be highlighted by the delicate foliage of grasses, thistles, or molinias, for example. This combination emphasises an elegant contrast between the delicacy of tall grasses and the assertiveness of its flower. The flowering of echinaceas is a perfect accompaniment to that of dahlias, as they occur simultaneously, along with cosmos or perennial salvias.

The star plant of cottage gardens, dahlias are undoubtedly beautiful flowers. They are perfect in flower beds but can also enhance vegetable gardens. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was initially cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor qualities quickly assigned it the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.