Dahlia 'Pooh' is a vibrant and cheerful Collarette dahlia known for its playful "fruit salad" colour scheme and its exceptional ability to attract pollinators. An RHS Award of Garden Merit winner, it is a garden favourite for its long-lasting, bright blooms.
Key Characteristics
- Flower Type & Colour: A collarette variety featuring a single outer ring of large orange-red petals with yellow tips. At the centre is a secondary "collar" of smaller, ruffled sunshine-yellow petals surrounding a golden disc.
- Bloom Size: Flowers are approximately 8-10cm in diameter.
- Height: Reaches a mature height of 75cm to 1 metre (approx. 30-40 inches).
- Flowering Period: Prolific bloomer from July right through to the first frosts in November.
- Usage: Its open-faced design is a magnet for bees and butterflies. It works perfectly in middle-to-back borders, patio pots, and as a long-lasting cut flower.
Cultivation and Care
- Position: Requires full sun and a sheltered spot to protect its stems.
- Soil: Thrives in rich, fertile, and well-drained soil.
- Planting: Plant tubers 10-15cm deep in spring once the soil warms. Space them roughly 45cm apart.
- Maintenance: Pinch out the growing tips when the plant is about 30cm - tall to encourage bushier growth. Regular deadheading is essential to keep the flowers coming until autumn.
- Overwintering: Half-hardy; tubers should be lifted in autumn and stored in a frost-free, dry place.