The colourful and compact Dahlia Mystic series

For those wanting all the pizzazz of a dahlia without the enormous size, this series is a must-have. With a combination of stunning colours and rich, dark foliage, it’s an all-round winner for pots and borders.

 

How to grow Dahlia Mystic Flowering time: June – November Location: Borders, patio pots Soil: Fertile and moist but well-draining Light: Full sun Hardy: -6 degrees Celsius Care: Trim dead flowers for repeat flowering. Add fertiliser and slug bait consistently. Prune hard in late autumn once the foliage has started to die back. Size: 50-60cm height, 30-45cm spread

 

How was this plant created?

This series comes from the mind of leading New Zealand ornamental plant breeder Dr. Keith Hammett, who believes in plant breeding with the approach of an artist/scientist, rather than simply to generate new products. His Dahlias have won top awards at the Royal Horticultural Society’s trials and were featured in the Chelsea Flower Show. They are known for their bright, vibrant flowers with darkly coloured central discs, and dark, luscious foliage. What’s more, these plants represent a change in breeding direction for Dahlias, resulting from breeding with species of Dahlia that have not previously been used. 

Dr. Hammett created the Mystic series after noting the attractiveness of finely divided foliage in species such as D. dissecta and D. apiculata. From these, he developed Dahlias with divided foliage that is also darkly pigmented.

 

What’s different about this plant?

The Dahlia Mystic series is unique thanks to its mahogany foliage combined with vivid blooms in a variety of colours. Even though they are compact in size, these magnificent plants brighten up even the dullest of gardens, drawing the eye straight to their foliage and petals!

You’ll also have the benefit of exuberant flowering, with each plant producing 50-100 flowers per season! 

 

Where can you plant Dahlia Mystic series?

With the Dahlia Mystic series, you can create a really dramatic display in borders when planting en masse. However, these plants also look fantastic in pots, complementing any outdoor decor scheme thanks to the variety of colours available.

The large flowers are also great for picking, if you’d like to create a stunning indoor display in a vase.

 

Where can you buy this plant?

The Dahlia Mystic series is available from QVC in the UK.

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