Dahlia Dark Angels Star Wars

The Dahlia 'Star Wars' is another variety from the Dark Angels series, which brings together small plants with dark foliage and small, abundant flowers in vibrant colours. These are vigorous, floriferous, and original Dahlias, perfect for ornamental borders and flowering pots. The flowers of Star Wars are beautifully bi-coloured, with bright pink-orange tips on a tender yellow background, centered on a golden heart. They bloom in abundance on an elegantly cut foliage that is heavily tinged with bronze and purple reflections. It blooms early in the season and its flowers continue to bloom until the first frost.  

Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. They have inflorescences organized in heads, which we commonly call 'flowers'. Currently, the approximately 25,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, much to our delight, gardens all over the world. The Dark Angels Dahlias, developed in the Netherlands, bear names that allude to successful American films such as "Braveheart," "Pretty Woman," "American Pie," "Dracula," "Pulp Fiction," and our suave "Star Wars."

The variety 'Star Wars' ('Vdtg14') is a dwarf Dahlia, it will not exceed 30-40 cm (12-16in) in all directions. It is also classified as a decorative Dahlia called 'Mignon', which is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the 8 ligules or colored 'petals' of the head (what we commonly call the flower) are arranged in simple corollas around a central disk. The flowers of 'Star Wars' are approximately 4 cm in diameter. The peripheral ligules are bi-colored, tender yellow at the base, brushed and tinted with bright pink-orange at their tips. The colour of the flowers fades slightly over time. The initially very dark heart of the flower is composed of tiny flowers that open in a bright yellow. The flowering takes place from June-July to October, or even November if the weather is mild. The habit is bushy and compact, requiring no staking. The highly branched stems are hollow, and the leaves are opposite, pinnately lobed, meaning they divide into 3 or 5 very toothed lobes. The leaves here are tinged with dark purple-bronze, with green reflections in the sunlight. The stems are also a very dark purple.

To encourage reblooming, take care to remove faded flowers, or better yet, regularly make large colourful bouquets by combining it with other compact varieties. 'Star Wars' can be combined with all other Dark Angels varieties in flowerpots and at the front of flower beds. Very colourful in both leaves and flowers, this Dahlia often stands alone. However, you can still offer it a setting of white and delicate flowers such as those of Diamond Frost Euphorbia, Nemesia, white snapdragons, or Aster prostratus Snow Flurry, for example. Also, consider small grasses like Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum, Stipa pennata and barbata, and Carex Comans bronze, which will bring a beautiful touch of lightness and elegance to the ensemble. 

Dahlias are the stars of borders and kitchen gardens, accompanying the most beautiful flowers without hesitation. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was initially cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. But its poor taste qualities relegated it to the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.