Dahlia Jewel Orange

The  Dahlia 'Jewel Orange' is a small decorative dahlia with a truly flamboyant orange flowering, an unusual shade that will bring a lot of dynamism to both the garden and bouquets. Its flowers, not very large but very double, are a bright orange barely touched with yellow, blooming from summer until the first frost. This floriferous variety, which does not require staking, is a real jewel for sunny borders and flower pots.

Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, the some 25,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, to our great pleasure, gardens all over the world.
The 'Jewel Orange' variety is a dwarf dahlia, it will not exceed 40-50 cm (20in) in all directions. It is also classified as a decorative dahlia, which is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the colored ligules of the head (what we generally call the flower) are arranged regularly in a spiral, they can be curved towards the stem or fringed for example. The very round flowers of 'Jewel Orange', actually inflorescences called heads,  are 6-7 cm in diameter. The numerous ligules or slightly tubular petals are bright orange in colour, washed with peach at the edges and touched with yellow at the base towards the center of the "pompom". Depending on the soil and climate, the orange colour may vary slightly, leaning more towards salmon orange. The golden heart of the flower, visible very late, is composed of tiny bright yellow flowers. The flowering takes place from July to October, or even November if the weather is mild. It has a bushy and compact habit, not requiring staking. The very branching stems are hollow and the leaves are opposite, pinnately divided into 3 or 5 deeply toothed lobes. The leaves and stems are a bright, quite intense green.

To encourage repeat flowering, be sure to remove faded flowers, or better yet, regularly make large colourful bouquets by combining it with other varieties. 'Jewel Orange' pairs well with white and delicate blooms such as chamomiles, white autumn asters (Aster pringlei 'Monte Cassino', Aster ericoides prostratus Snow Flurry). With a little daring, you can try combining it with the blue flowers of catmints, perennial flax or larkspurs. With its compact habit and endless flowering, it works wonders in a border, a low bed, on a terrace or a balcony. Many annuals such as cosmos, everlasting flowers, Nemesia, and white-flowered snapdragons can also accompany it. Not to mention the small ornamental grasses (Stipa tenuifolia, Carex, Molinia) with their complementary graphic appeal.

As a star plant in borders and herb gardens, dahlias confidently accompany the most beautiful flowers but are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was initially cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. However, its poor taste qualities assigned it the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.