The Aztecs used them to treat epilepsy, and employed the long hollow stem of the Dahlia imperialis for water pipes. They were used as a source of food by the indigenous peoples, and were both gathered in the wild and cultivated. Spaniards reported finding the plants growing in Mexico in 1525, but the earliest known description is by Francisco Hernández, physician to Philip II, who was ordered to visit Mexico in 1570 to study the "natural products of that country".
Attempts to introduce the tubers as a food crop in Europe were unsuccessful. The tubers were grown as a food crop by the Aztecs, but this use largely died out after the Spanish Conquest. The dahlia was declared the national flower of Mexico in 1963. Like most plants that do not attract pollinating insects through scent, they are brightly colored, displaying most hues, with the exception of blue. The majority of species do not produce scented flowers. The stems are leafy, ranging in height from as low as 30 cm (12 in) to more than 1.8–2.4 m (6–8 ft). In addition, dahlias also contain many transposons-genetic pieces that move from place to place upon an allele-which contributes to their manifesting such great diversity. This great variety results from dahlias being octoploids-that is, they have eight sets of homologous chromosomes, whereas most plants have only two. Flower forms are variable, with one head per stem these can be as small as 5 cm (2 in) diameter or up to 30 cm (1 ft) ("dinner plate").
There are 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. A member of the Compositae (also called Asteraceae) family of dicotyledonous plants, its garden relatives thus include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia. You will find the essential plant growing instructions on every package.Dahlia ( UK: / ˈ d eɪ l i ə/ or US: / ˈ d eɪ l j ə, ˈ d ɑː l-, ˈ d æ l j ə/) is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. Plant the tubers late in spring and excavate them in autumn to store them over the winter in box filled with peat or moist sawdust.Ī single package contains 10 large rootstocks of the Contraste dahlia.
The soil should be humous, not too heavy, yet constantly moist. To make your dahlias bloom all summer long, provide them with a warm and sunny situation. It can also adorn flower beds in company of dahlias with lighter blooms, such as Colour Spectacle, Kelvin Floodlight or Sylvia. Due to its substantial size, between 90 and 110 centimetres of height, and a bushy appearance, it is a perfect plant for growing alone at a lawn. This contrast makes this plant an absolute head turner. The colour of the flowers immediately attracts attention: blooms of that dahlia cultivar take on a deep red wine colour while the petal tips are sprinkled with white dots. This variety delights with huge double inflorescences that each consists of hundreds of tear-shaped petals that form a regular semi sphere. The Contraste dahlia ( Dahlia) belongs to the most decorative plant that you can grow in your home garden.
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