Dahlia Café au Lait Rosé

Dahlia 'Café au Lait Rosé' is almost impossible to find in horticultural commerce. Like the famous giant Dahlia 'Café au Lait', this brand-new variety has huge double flowers, sometimes reaching 25cm (10in) in diameter. They emerge from violet buds that open in a soft colour between cream and pale-pink. This dahlia blooms quite late, from summer to autumn, on stems that can reach 1.2m (4ft) in height. Combine it in your flower beds with light flowers, grasses, or foliage plants. Its spectacular flowers make sumptuous bouquets.

Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, there are thousands of horticultural varieties that have conquered gardens worldwide. The 'Café au Lait Rosé' variety is part of the giant dahlias group. Its stems can reach 1.1m to 1.2m (4ft) high and 60cm (24in) wide. 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 arranged regularly in a spiral, and can be bent towards the stem or curled, for example. The flowering of this variety begins in July and ends in October. The flower heads measure 22 to 25cm (9 to 10in) in diameter. The outermost ligules are quite large and slightly turbinate, while those in the centre are more coiled. Their pale-pink colour is quite homogeneous, slightly darker at the heart of the inflorescence. The habit is bushy and erect, and the branched stems are hollow. Its leaves are opposite and pinnate, meaning they are divided into 3 or 5 toothed lobes. The leaves and stems are bright, fairly light green.

To extend the flowering period and promote new blooms, take care to remove faded flowers. Even better, cut them regularly to create attractive colourful bouquets by combining several varieties.

'Café au Lait Rosé' pairs particularly well with pink, white, mauve, and red blooms, especially those of roses. In flower beds, it will perfectly match echinaceas, white lilies, cornflowers, and cosmos, for example. It will also make a pretty and unique mix with sedums and miscanthus.

As a star plant in borders and kitchen 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 assigned it the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.