Dahlia Karma Serena

The Dahlia 'Karma Serena' is a decorative dahlia specially selected for cut flowers. Its large cream-white flowers, touched with green-yellow at the centre, bloom on sturdy stems that won't topple at the first storm. In a border, it brings a soft, elegant light, perfect for brightening a summer scene or accompanying more colourful blooms. This variety is highly sought after by florists for wedding bouquets and contemporary displays.

Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family and descend from species native to the highlands of Mexico and Central America. Modern hybrids are non-hardy tuberous perennials: the aerial part dies back in winter, but the tubercles, fleshy storage organs, will regrow in spring if protected from frost.
'Karma Serena' belongs to the horticultural group of decorative dahlias, characterised by double inflorescences with wide, flat, rounded ligules (petals), arranged in several tight ranks, completely covering the heart. This cultivar was bred in the Netherlands by Aad Verwer (Gebr. Verwer), as part of the Karma series, developed for the professional cut flower market. Its vase life is of the order of 8 to 10 days. The parents of Karma Serena are the cultivars Ambiance (female parent) and Oriental Dream (male parent). The variety has been protected since the second half of the 1990s and its official cultivar name is 'Karma Serena', sometimes abbreviated to 'Serena' in some registers.
The plant forms an upright, bushy clump 80 to 100 cm tall and 50 to 60 cm wide, borne on hollow, thick stems that are sufficiently rigid to support the flowers without bending in the rain. The foliage is abundant and medium to dark green. The flowers are large heads, 10 to 12 cm in diameter. They consist of a regular mass of rounded petals, cream-white, brightened at the centre with a soft yellow to yellow-green hue. Flowering lasts from July to October, often extended until the first frosts if watered regularly and deadheaded.

This subtle and luminous dahlia is perfect for creating elegant displays. In a border, it can be planted in small clumps to create light spots among dark dahlias like 'Black Destiny' or 'Arabian Night'. The large, frilly flowers of Dahlia 'Labyrinth Twotone', in mauve and white shades, also pair very well with this felted white in graphic cut flower arrangements. To create a more natural look in the garden, pair it with the verticality of a Salvia 'Amistad Violet' and a tall grass like Panicum virgatum 'Northwind'. In a vase, this dahlia lends itself to refined arrangements with a few light umbels or cut foliage, and a few heads of Dahlia 'Karma Choc' in dark red, for a chic black and white contrast.

In addition to their ornamental qualities, dahlias have a unique history: in their country of origin, they were already cultivated by the Aztecs, who used the hollow stems of some species as water ducts and consumed the tubercles as a vegetable and medicinal plant; today, the dahlia is even recognised as the national flower of Mexico, a symbol of the richness of its flora.