Dahlia Hans Auinger

The 'Hans Auinger' decorative Dahlia will charm the garden and bouquets with its uncommon flower shape and whimsical orange colour. Of medium size, slightly ruffled, they are filled with pointed petals that are slightly curved, transitioning from orange to salmon pink, revealing a white tip sometimes striped with pink. This flowering, which lasts for over three months, blooms on a medium-sized plant. A very beautiful variety for flower beds, it produces excellent cut flowers.

Dahlias are tuberous plants from the large family of Asteraceae, originally native to the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, the some 75,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded gardens around the world, much to our delight. Dahlias are classified based on the shape of their flowers. 'Hans Auinger' is classified in the category of informal medium-sized decorative Dahlias. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head are regularly arranged in a spiral, they can be bent towards the stem or curled, for example. In this variety, the heads reach a diameter of 15cm (6in) and their petals or ligules are narrow, tapering to a point and slightly twisted towards the stem. The flowering period lasts from July-August to October. The plant will reach a height of approximately 1m (3ft) and a width of 60cm (24in), with a bushy and upright habit. The highly branched stems are hollow but sturdy, and the leaves are opposite, pinnately compound, meaning they are divided into 3 or 5 leaflets, which have very denticulate lobes. The leaves are a fairly dark green, and the stems are more or less tinged with brown.

To promote repeat flowering and extend the flowering period, be sure to remove faded flowers. Even better, regularly compose attractive colourful bouquets by combining various varieties. The medium height of this 'Hans Auinger' variety makes it suitable for ornamenting beds of tall perennial plants or low bushes. The flowering of Echinaceas is perfect when accompanied by Dahlias, as they bloom simultaneously, as well as shrubby salvias and asters, for example. Also consider grasses (Miscanthus saccharifolius, Stipa arundinacea, Eragrostis trichodes) which take on beautiful colours in autumn.

As the star plant in ornamental gardens, Dahlias are undoubtedly beautiful flowers. They are perfect in flower beds but can also enhance vegetable gardens. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was initially cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor taste quickly relegated it to the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.