Dahlia

September 23, 2017

I was recently in a garden in Seattle and these were blooming everywhere. Can you identify them and tell me if they would survive in Arkansas.

The flowers in question are dahlias.  While they probably won’t look as good in Arkansas as they do in the cooler climates of the NW, they can grow and thrive in Arkansas.  They come in a wide range of colors.  They do best in a sunny location with good soil and ample water.  They would prefer sunny, warm days and cool nights, thus they thrive in the NW.  While dahlias are considered ever-blooming, when it gets hot, the blooms will be fewer. If you can keep them growing, you should see great flowers in the fall as the temperatures begin to cool off.  Since our summer was much milder than normal, they actually have been growing the best I have seen this summer.  Although they can overwinter in south Arkansas and even occasionally come back in central Arkansas, it is recommended that the tubers be lifted after the first light frost and stored in dry peat moss in a cool, dry location and then replanted in the spring

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