Dahlia Ellen Houston

The Dahlia Ellen Houston is a decorative dahlia with coral flowers and almost black foliage.

A plant with a thousand faces, the Dahlia originally from the high plateaus of Mexico, now has around 20,000 varieties. This tuberous plant was initially cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. But its poor taste qualities gave way to its exuberant flowering. Since then, interest in this very floriferous Asteraceae has never waned.

The Dahlia Ellen Houston is a small decorative dahlia. The plant will reach 50 cm (20in) in height and 40 cm (16in) in width. It has a bushy habit and, as a low variety, has a stocky appearance. Its very branched stems are hollow. Its leaves are opposite, pinnate, meaning they are divided into 3 or 5 leaflets, which have very denticulate lobes. The stems and leaves are a dark bronze colour, almost black, which greatly contributes to the plant's decorative effect.

The flowers of decorative dahlias are thicker than they are wide and are often large in size. The flowers of the Ellen Houston variety are 10 cm (4in) in diameter, full and well double. The outermost ligules are slightly tubular and incurved (curved upwards). They are coral red to bright orange. The central florets are shorter and form a tender green bud as they have not yet reached maturity.
The flowering period of dahlias is exceptionally long. Our variety begins in July and ends in October. To encourage repeat flowering and extend this flowering period, make sure to remove faded flowers. Even better, cut them regularly to create attractive colourful bouquets by combining various varieties.

Dahlias are easy to grow and, for a more generous flowering, it is good to follow a few simple rules: they are sun-loving plants that require a lot of sunlight. Plant the tubers in full sun as soon as the last frosts are over. Rich, fresh and well-drained soils are welcome. Excessive moisture can cause the tubers to rot. Feel free to amend the soil with compost and sand if necessary.
Dahlias are very attractive to bees, which is valuable as sources of nectar become scarce in autumn. Along borders or in flower beds, combine the colours of this dahlia with Cape Lilies, Shangri La Peach Verbena, create a colour contrast with one of the many varieties of asters, and add a wispy grass for a refined and romantic display.