Dahlia Destiny's Teacher

The Dahlia Honka Destiny's Teacher is a variety with star-shaped flowers from the Honka series, which stands out for its variegated flowers, a colour never seen before in this category. Its very slender petals with rolled edges are randomly maculated and speckled with purple on a background that evolves from very pale pink to almost white. They radiate from the center of the flower, occupied by a large golden yellow heart. This Dahlia is also particularly floriferous. Its flower, as strange as it is attractive, deserves to be showcased in the garden or in a bouquet, with light flowers or dark foliage.

Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, the approximately 25,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, to our greatest pleasure, gardens worldwide. 

The Dahlia Honka Destiny's Teacher, introduced in 2016 in the USA, is a perennial plant with swollen tuberous roots. Gathered in bundles, these tubers produce upright, hollow and ramified stems as soon as the temperature rises in spring, bearing compound leaves with rounded leaflets. The solid, fleshy stems, about 90 cm (35in) tall, are terminated by inflorescences called heads, about 7 to 8 cm (3in) wide. The Honka series is part of the horticultural family of star-shaped Dahlias, defined by the shape of the flower. The foliage of this variety is light green.

To promote flowering, make sure to remove faded flowers, or even better, regularly make large colourful bouquets by combining it with other white or pink varieties. Honka 'Destiny's Teacher' pairs particularly well with subtle flowers and purple foliage (silver candles, heucheras) that will not overshadow the delicacy of its flowering. For example, you can pair it with cornflowers, cosmos, centaureas, and scabiosas that bloom at the same time, as well as asters and Buenos Aires verbena. 

As a star of borders and ornamental gardens, Dahlias confidently accompany the most beautiful flowers but are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. In Mexico, this tuber was first 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. 

Tips: When planting, take into account the dimensions for the composition of your flower beds.