Dahlia Bantling

Dahlia 'Bantling' bears exquisite pompom flowers in a pure bright orange colour that fades a little over time, transforming the bush into a vibrant bouquet. The buds succeed each other from July to October, blooming above dark green foliage. Its long-lasting flowers are beautiful in flower beds, and perfect for floral arrangements.

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.

'Bantling' reaches a height of 90cm (35in) with a diameter of 50 to 60cm (20 to 24in). It is classified as a pompom dahlia, which is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the capitula are modest in size, but produced in abundance, and the tubular ligules form a perfectly spherical inflorescence that has a honeycomb-like structure. The flowers of 'Bantling' are not all of uniform size and measure from 7 to 10cm (3 to 4in) in diameter. The ligules are light and vivid orange, and then turn into a soft yellow-orange. Flowering takes place from July to October-November. The habit is bushy and upright. The branching stems are hollow, and the leaves are opposite, pinnately divided into 3 or 5 lobes with toothed edges. The leaves and stems are quite dark green.

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

'Bantling' pairs particularly well with white and pale-yellow flowers, or even blue ones. It will create warm and bright spots in flower beds alongside asters, for example, which bloom at the same time, as well as grasses or echinaceas. This variety creates beautiful bouquets 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.