Dahlia Vassio Meggos

The 'Vassio Meggos' giant decorative Dahlia is a beautiful variety with immense lavender pink flowers whose ligules gracefully fold back towards the stem. It blooms for a long time, from July to October. It is a Dahlia that is often awarded in competitions and its long, sturdy stems are perfect for cut flowers.

Dahlias belong to the asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, the few 20,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, to our greatest pleasure, gardens all over the world. The 'Vassio Meggos' variety is part of the giant Dahlias because it is tall on its stem, 1 m (3ft) tall and 60 cm (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, they can be bent towards the stem or curled, for example. The flowering of this variety starts in July and ends in October. The heads measure 20 cm (8in) in diameter, the outermost ligules are quite large, slightly turbinate, of a pinkish mauve color, almost lavender, those in the center are darker. The habit is bushy and erect, and the very branched stems are hollow. Its leaves are opposite, pinnatisect, meaning they are divided into 3 or 5 toothed lobes. The leaves and stems are dark green.

To extend the flowering period and promote repeat blooming, make sure to remove faded flowers. Even better, cut them regularly to create charming colorful bouquets by combining several varieties.

'Vassio Meggos' pairs particularly well with pink and red blooms, especially those of roses. In flower beds, it will perfectly match Echinaceas, Heleniums, and Cosmos, for example. With Sedums and Miscanthus, it will also make a lovely original mix.

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