Dahlia October Sky

The 'October Sky' Decorative Dahlia has undoubtedly been named so for its fabulous sunset colours that harmonize so well with the autumn glow. Its flowers are double and globular, elegantly formed, and have a golden heart that blends into the outer petals of salmon orange. Over time, the orange and salmon tones take over the flower, while the heart remains dark yellow. The plant, of beautiful stature, forms a large bushy clump and blooms late in the season, with abundant light green foliage.

Dahlias belong to the large family of Asteraceae and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. At present, the approximately 75,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, to our great pleasure, gardens all over the world. Dahlias are classified according to the shape of their flowers. 'October Sky', introduced in 2011, is classified in the category of Decorative Dahlias. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head are regularly arranged in a spiral, they can be curved towards the stem or fringed, for example. In this variety, the heads are approximately 13cm (5in) in diameter, and the ligules are wide, flat, and slightly concave. The orange tones intensify over time, dominating the yellow. Flowering occurs from mid-July to October. The plant will reach approximately 1.40m (5ft) in height, and 60-70cm (24 -  30in) in width, with a bushy and upright habit. The highly branched stems are hollow, and the opposite leaves are divided into 3 or 5 leaflets, which are finely toothed. The foliage is a beautiful intense green.

To promote repeat flowering and extend the flowering period, be sure to remove faded flowers. Even better, regularly create attractive colourful bouquets by combining different varieties. The tall stature of this 'October Sky' variety makes it suitable for the back of perennial borders, as well as among bushes that will support its tall stems. Its flamboyant flowering pairs well with red, yellow, orange, brown, and purple. The flowering of sunflowers, Cosmos, and Echinaceas is perfect alongside dahlias, as they occur simultaneously, as well as asters, for example. Also, consider grasses, which have a very beautiful effect in autumn.

Stars of ornamental gardens, dahlias are undoubtedly beautiful flowers, perfect in flowerbeds, and can also enhance vegetable gardens. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was initially cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor taste quickly relegated it to the rank of ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.