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BeddingHerbaceous Perennial

Dahlia 'Café au Lait' (D)

dahlia 'Café au Lait'

A clump-forming, tuberous perennial to 1.2m in height with toothed, dark green leaves. Large, double, peach-flushed, creamy flowers bloom from midsummer until autumn

Synonyms

Dahlia 'Caffe Latte'

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

West–facing or South–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Dahlia are tuberous rooted perennials with pinnately divided leaves and showy flowerheads, double in many cultivars, in summer and autumn
Name status: Accepted
Horticultural Group: Decorative dahlias have fully double flowerheads with flat or slightly incurved florets

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil, in full sun. Pinch out growing tips to encourage bushy plants and stake taller dahlias, see staking: perennials. Water freely in dry periods. Lift and store tubers in autumn to replant or use as a source of cuttings in spring. See dahlia cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings taken in spring from shoots from stored tubers, or divide the tubers ensuring each division has a viable bud

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
City and courtyard gardens
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds
Bedding

Pruning

Deadhead to prolong flowering. Cut back to near ground level in the autumn, before lifting and storing for the winter

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, leaf miners, glasshouse red spider mite and slugs. Earwigs sometimes damage blooms. Capsid bug and caterpillars are occasional pests

Diseases

May be susceptible to Powdery mildews in dry conditions. In wet weather grey moulds and other fungal rots can be a problem. Fungal rots can also damage stored tubers. A virus may cause stunting, leaf markings and distortion

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