Dahlia My Hero

The Dahlia 'My Hero' is an exceptional variety of giant Dahlia, both in terms of the size of its flowers (25 to 27 cm) and their twisted-crumpled shape, and their pinkish-purple colour with a silvery underside. They are impressive and borne by a tall plant that can reach 1.50 m in height. Pair it in your beds or bouquets with light blooms or foliage plants.

The Dahlias, from the asteraceae family, have ancestors originating from the high plateaus of Mexico. Thousands of horticultural varieties have been obtained by humans, with several new ones created each year. The 'My Hero' variety, selected in 2019 in the USA, is part of the so-called "giant" Dahlias because its flowers are particularly wide and it is tall, between 1.10 m and 1.50 m high depending on growing conditions. It is also classified among the Decorative Dahlias, a horticultural category defined by the flower's form. In this group, the colourful ligules of the head are arranged in a regular spiral, they can be curved towards the stem or frilled, for example. The flowering of this 'My Hero' cultivar begins in July and ends in October if flowers are regularly cut. These are actually inflorescences called heads. The "petals" or ligules are quite wide, more or less twisted, oriented in all directions, those in the center are smaller and more curled. They are pinkish-purple on the top, with a silvery white underside. The central ligules are violet, striped with white. The habit is bushy and erect, and the very branched stems are hollow. The leaves are pinnatisect, meaning they divide into 3 or 5 toothed lobes. The leaves are quite bright green, with slightly purplish stems. To extend the flowering period and promote floral reflowering, remove faded flowers. Feel free to create beautiful colourful bouquets throughout the season.

The Dahlia 'My Hero' pairs particularly well with pink, purple, and white blooms. Pair it with the giant Dahlias 'White Perfection' and 'Otto's Thrill' for example. In a bed, it blends perfectly with white cosmos 'Sensation Purity' and 'Fizzy Pink'. For an exotic touch, try it with Cannas like 'Felix Roux' with dark foliage.

Classic border plants and cottage garden favourites, Dahlias accompany the most beautiful flowers, but are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was initially cultivated as a root vegetable. However, its mediocre taste qualities relegated it to the status of an ornamental plant.