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Dahlia Apricot Desire

Dahlia Apricot Desire
Dahlia

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1 reviews

Very lovely.

Stéfanie M., 16/11/2018

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This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty

More information

A variety of Dahlia with apricot-coloured flowers. Classified among the water liliy varieties, this magnificent Dahlia will accompany the summer flowering of your garden and warm up the autumn. The tubers should be stored during winter, but Dahlias are easy-to-grow plants that are satisfied with a good sunny exposure and well-amended soil.

Flower size

12 cm

Height at maturity

1.20 m

Spread at maturity

85 cm

Exposure

Sun

Hardiness

Hardy down to -4°C

Soil moisture

Moist soil

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Best planting time May

Recommended planting time April to May

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Flowering time July to November

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Description

Classified among the water lily-flowered group, the Dahlia 'Apricot Desire' will accompany the summer blooms of your garden and warm up autumn with its lovely apricot colour. It is a plant of great size with an original flowering.

Dahlias belong to the large family of asteraceae, they are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, the approximately 20,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, to our greatest pleasure, gardens all over the world. Varieties of Dahlias are classified according to the shape of their flowerheads.

Dahlias with water lily-like flowers have flat, wide, straight ligules, rounded at their ends, and the centre is tightly closed. The heads of 'Apricot Desire' are 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) in diameter, or even more, they are full and very double. The ligules are generally straight and slightly concave. They are delicately coloured with apricot orange. The shorter central florets bring a slightly darker shade. The very branched dark purple stems are hollow, they form a bushy tuft with dense foliage that will reach 120 cm (47in) in height and 85 cm (34in) in width. The medium green leaves are divided into 3 or 5 denticulate lobes. The large size of these stems will probably require you to stake them or at least pinch them well at the beginning of the season to solidify the silhouette.

The flowering of Dahlias is exceptionally long, it begins in July and ends in November. To promote reblooming and extend this flowering period, be sure to remove faded flowers. Even better, cut them regularly to create attractive colourful bouquets by combining various varieties.

Dahlias are easy to grow, however, they require some work as the tubers need to be stored each winter. In the background of a flower bed, the feathery foliage of bronze fennel will enhance the texture of your giant Dahlia varieties. Add a few 'Hélénies Hoopesii' with their old gold colour to perfect a refined and romantic tableau. The colour of this variety will blend perfectly with dark purples and violets.

Dahlia Apricot Desire in pictures

Flowering

Foliage

Plant habit

Height at maturity 1.20 m

Spread at maturity 85 cm

Growth rate normal

Flowering

Flower colour orange

Flowering time July to November

Inflorescence Flower head

Flower size 12 cm

Good for cut flowers Cut flower blooms

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous

Foliage colour medium green

Botanical data

Genus

Dahlia

Cultivar

Apricot Desire

Family

Asteraceae

Other common names

Dahlia

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference • 12581

Planting and care

The 'Apricot Desire' Dahlia is easy to grow in all regions. For abundant flowering, it is good to follow a few simple rules, plant the tubers in a sunny location as soon as the last frost has passed, rich, fresh, and well-drained soils are perfect. However, stagnant moisture would promote tuber rot. Feel free to amend the soil with compost and sand if necessary. Work the soil deeply and enrich it, for example, with crushed horn or dehydrated blood. Place your tuber and crumble the soil well to fill the hole without air pockets. Your dahlia should be covered with about 6 cm (2in) of soil. At the end of planting, water abundantly once and then regularly for the first 6 weeks to help with rooting.

Dahlias are sensitive to cold, they need to be overwintered under shelter. In November, the first frosts blacken the foliage, so it is time to dig them up. Carefully unearth the tubers. Remove as much soil as possible. Let the foliage dry so that the tubers can replenish their reserves. Then cut the stems down to 10 cm (4in). Spread your bulbs in a crate on newspaper. Store them protected from frost in a dry, cool, and dark place, such as a frost-free garage or an attic. In the southern regions, close to the coast, where there are few frosty days per year, it is possible to leave them in place. In this case, simply cover the ground with a layer of leaves or straw for protection.

This tall dahlia, with its hollow stems, is not resistant to wind or heavy rain. To overcome this drawback, you can stake it but it's not very attractive. On the other hand, by pinching the stems early you can spread out the habit of the plant, which will offer more resistance to bad weather. Alternatively, you can remove the axillary flower buds to channel the flow of sap to a single flower, which will become larger and sturdier, though taller.