Dahlia Waltzing Mathilda

Dahlia 'Waltzing Mathilda' is a medium-sized dahlia, but completely unusual and undoubtedly as attractive as it is unique!  It offers semi-double flowers with an informal shape, whose outer ligules are twisted in a spiral. To their somewhat hypnotic charm, these heads add a delightful hue, composed of a fresh pink tinged with coral red. The flowers stand out beautifully against dark foliage, bronze-green to black, carried by equally dark stems. It blooms from July to November, providing a constantly renewed visual pleasure. How can one resist?

Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, the approximately 20,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have arrived, much to our delight, in gardens around the world.
The 'Waltzing Mathilda' variety is a recent variety. It is a dahlia with dark foliage classified in a separate category. The flowering plant will easily reach 70 cm (28in) in height and 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24in) in width.  The flowers of 'Waltzing Mathilda', semi-double to single, measure about 8 cm (3in) in diameter. The outermost ligules have a very original shape, slightly helical, and a very bright colour that contrasts superbly with the very dark vegetation. The tiny flowers in the centre form a bronze to yellow disc. The flowering repeats from July to October-November, until the frosts. It has a bushy and upright habit. The very branched stems are hollow and the leaves are opposite, pinnately divided into 3 or 5 very toothed lobes. The leaves have a very unique colour, bronze-green, very dark olive green to purplish, and the slender stems are purple to almost black.

To encourage repeat flowering, take care to remove faded flowers, or even better, regularly make large colourful bouquets by combining it with other varieties. With its swirling flowering, Dahlia 'Waltzing Mathilda' alone, and beautifully, creates the backdrop for a dedicated flower bed, or even a large glazed pot on the patio. It also pairs well with the grey foliage of artemisias (Powis Castle Artemisia, Artemisia absinthium Lambrook Silver) or the dark needles of certain small conifers (Chamaecyparis obtusa Chirimen, Chamaecyparis obtusa Juniperoides). In flower beds, this slightly theatrical dahlia will create colourful and bright spots among groups of Echinaceas, for example, perennials that flower at the same time, just like blue or mauve Asters with light flowering (Aster cordifolius, Aster turbinellus, Aster novi-belgii Marie Ballard...). Its flowers are of course magnificent in bouquets.

The star plant of borders and curative gardens, Dahlias confidently accompany the most beautiful flowers but are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was initially grown as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor taste qualities assigned it the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.