Dahlia Motto

Dahlia 'Motto' is no ordinary orange dahlia! Its large double flowers blend warm and sweet shades of honey, melon, apricot, and papaya around a melted heart of brilliant gold. With their vibrant colour and frilly spike-like petals, these flowers catch everyone's attention in the garden, and their sturdy stems are perfect for making bouquets. Of medium stature, this bushy plant will be appreciated in sunny borders, among low bushes, as well as in a large pot on a patio. It is an exceptional companion for Dahlia Thomas A. Edison and D. 'Lady Liberty'.

Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. There are currently thousands of horticultural varieties that have conquered gardens worldwide. They are tender perennials with fleshy tubers.

The 'Motto' variety, registered in 1985, is classified as a decorative dahlia, which is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head are arranged regularly in a spiral. They can be bent towards the stem or curled, for example. In this variety, the large flower heads measure 17 to 20cm (7 to 8in) in diameter, and their ligules or petals are slightly twisted in a helix. Each vibrant flower combines a magnificent palette of shades ranging from yellow to salmon-pink orange. Flowering takes place from July to October. The habit is bushy, and the plant reaches about 90cm (35in) in height when flowering and 50 to 60cm (20 to 24in) in width. The branched stems are hollow but sturdy. The leaves are opposite and pinnatisect, which means they are divided into 3 or 5 toothed lobes. The leaves and stems are a medium bluish-green.

Remove faded flowers to encourage new blooms. You can use cut flowers to make colourful bouquets, combining them with other varieties. 

'Motto' can easily decorate a flower bed by itself, but its flowers will be enhanced by lighter and more discreet blooms, such as paniculate gypsophila, chamomiles, or a white linaria (Linaria purpurea 'Alba'). It looks wonderful with white or purple dahlias. The combination of orange tones with the range of blues and purples, although rare, is remarkable: think of perennial flax, phlox paniculata in mauve shades, blue bellflowers, and autumn asters, for example. This variety is perfect for creating bouquets until late in the season.

Dahlias are stars of borders and ornamental gardens, confidently accompanying the most beautiful flowers. However, they are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was first cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor taste qualities quickly saw it categorised as an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.