Dahlia Firepot

Dahlia 'Firepot' is a modest variety, but floriferous and brilliantly coloured. It is ideal for ornamental pots and borders. Its beautiful waterlily-like flowers display a changing colour that blends different shades of yellow and orange. They are produced in abundance from summer to the first frost if you regularly remove faded blooms. 

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.

'Firepot' was registered in 2016. It is a semi-dwarf dahlia that will not exceed 55 to 60cm in height and 50cm (20in) in width. It is also classified as a decorative dahlia, which is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head are regularly arranged in a spiral. They can be curved towards the stem or curly, for example. The flowers measure up to 8cm (3in) in diameter. The flowering period is from July to October. The bushy and compact habit does not usually require staking. The highly branched stems are hollow, and the leaves are opposite and divided into 3 or 5 deeply toothed lobes. The leaves and stems are a bright green colour.

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

'Firepot' pairs particularly well with the white flowers of Dahlia 'Gallery Art Fair', the blue flowers of Geranium 'Rozanne', as well as the silvery foliage of Cineraria maritima. 'Firepot' will look wonderful alongside echinaceas, daylilies, and asters, which bloom at the same time. This modest variety is perfect for container gardening.

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.