This genus has upright and bushy, early summer and early autumn flowering, tuberous, deciduous annuals and perennials. They bear pinnatifid or pinnatisect, mid green leaves and disc-shaped flowers. They are half hardy to hardy and will need a sunny position with well drained soil. In frost-free areas, the plants may be left in the ground as normal herbaceous perennials, but they will benefit from regular propagation to maintain vigour. Watch out for aphids, red spider mite and thrips. They will also succumb quickly to virus infections.
When the leaves get frazzled by the frost, cut off the top growth, dig up the tuber, wash off the soil, and leave upside down for 3 weeks to dry. Then dust with fungicide, and keep in vermiculite in an airy, frost-free place over winter. Give the occasional water spray or it might dry out, and plant up in a pot next spring in a greenhouse.
The best of these new dahlias have been bred in New Zealand, by internationally acclaimed plant hybridiser Dr Keith Hammett. One of his latest successes is Dahlia 'Scarlet Fern', which is available for the first time this season. It's a plant that's perfect for the modern garden, versatile and easy to grow, giving maximum performance for minimum fuss, flowering its socks off just months after planting. This quick off the mark flowering performance makes it ideal for the brand new garden as well as for those that are long established and in need of something to freshen up a tired planting scheme.
'Scarlet Fern' has plenty of foliage appeal, with attractively divided dark mahogany leaves to match the show stopping scarlet flowers. Its compact habit, just 80 centimetres high by 60 centimetres wide, makes it suitable for growing in pots and planters, so it can enliven decks or dazzle visitors at the front door too
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