Dahlia Mingus Joshua

The Dahlia 'Mingus Joshua' is rather unclassifiable. Its flowers, shaped like large, frizzy pom-poms, unfurl in a gradation of yellow and apricot. Not too tall, but very floriferous from summer to autumn, this variety fits just as well at the front of a border as in a large exotic cut flower arrangement.

Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family and are native to Mexico and Central America. Cultivated since the time of the Aztecs for their tuberous roots, they have become garden stars. The cultivar 'Mingus Joshua' is a non-hardy perennial: the tubers are planted in spring after the frosts and are dug up or protected before winter. Horticulturally, it belongs to the 'fimbriata' dahlia group—characterised by double flowers which ligulate florets are notched or divided at their tip, giving it this "ruffled" appearance. It was introduced in the United States in 2001 by breeder Robert Mingus and is part of the "Mingus" series, known for its robust and colourful varieties. The plant forms a bushy clump 0.5 to 1 m in height depending on conditions and up to about 0.5 m in spread. The flowers have a diameter of 15 to 20 cm. They display a multitude of "petals" from sun yellow to apricot, slightly more orange towards the outside. The foliage is dark green, the stems are sturdy, although staking can be useful in windy sites. Flowering begins in July and continues until the frosts (October, or even November).

With its large, sunny "pom-pom" flowers, this dahlia fits into an exotic meadow atmosphere or a contemporary border. Pair it with the fine foliage of bronze fennel and the chocolate cosmos 'Cocamocha'. Create a sumptuous colour gradation with other dahlias of the same style, for example the creamy white 'Tsuki Yori no Shisha' and the rich orange 'Mel's Orange'. In a vase, its stems allow you to compose a luminous two-tone yellow/apricot cut flower arrangement, accented with purple foliage such as that of Pittosporum 'Tom Thumb'. Let it express itself in the sun, and give it a little space to breathe: its personality stands on its own.