Dahlia La Gioconda

The Dahlia 'La Gioconda' is a variety of modest size, dating back to 1943, with timeless charm, and excellent vegetation as well. Its long flowering period, from summer to autumn, is both elegant and highly colorful. Its flowers, measuring 10 cm (4in) in diameter, are composed of a row of vermilion red petals, accompanied by a central crown of small bright yellow petals, surrounding a golden yellow heart. Resistant to bad weather, the plant exhibits a bushy and compact habit that makes it suitable for the forefront of flower beds or borders, as well as for creating beautiful potted displays.

The Dahlias belong to the botany family Asteraceae and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, the approximately 25,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, to our great pleasure, gardens all over the world.
The variety 'Collerette La Gioconda' is a dwarf Dahlia, belonging to the botanical family 'Clair de Lune', which will not exceed 60 cm (24in) in height and 50 cm (20in) in width, but grows rapidly into a dense bush. It is also classified as a collerette Dahlia, which is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the colored ligules of the head are regularly arranged in a single crown, around a collar of tiny petals surrounding the central disc. The flowers of 'La Gioconda' display outer ligules of bright red, and those in the center are of varying shades of bright yellow, sometimes lightly streaked with light red. The golden heart of the flower makes it even more radiant. The flowering period is from July to October. The habit is bushy and compact, requiring no staking. The highly branched stems are hollow and the leaves are opposite, pinnately lobed, meaning they are divided into 3 or 5 very toothed lobes. The leaves and stems are dark green.

To encourage repeat flowering, take care to remove faded flowers, or better yet, regularly make large colorful bouquets by combining it with other varieties. 'La Gioconda' pairs particularly well with blue or white flowers and plants with textured foliage, such as fennels, heucheras, blue grasses like Poa labillardieri, or the variegated Euphorbia characias Tasmanian Tiger. In the front of flower beds, this Dahlia will create colorful spots alongside Echinaceas, which bloom at the same time, as well as Daylilies and Asters. This variety of modest size is particularly well-suited for pot cultivation, easily beautifying the terrace or balcony.

A star of borders and ornamental gardens, Dahlias confidently accompany the most beautiful flowers but are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was initially cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. However, its poor taste qualities relegated it to the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.