Dahlia Sweet Surprise
Dahlia Sweet Surprise
Dahlia Sweet Surprise
Decorative dahlia
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Description
The Dahlia ‘Sweet Surprise’ is a decorative dahlia renowned for its beautifully formed flowers, with petals in a lilac pink with a creamy base. This variety finds its place in a large romantic border, a pastel bed, or a generous cut flower arrangement full of softness. Its prolonged flowering from July until the first frosts allows you to enjoy it for a long time, in the garden or in the house. Its cut flowers are remarkable in "boho chic" displays or rustic bouquets.
Botanically, this dahlia belongs to the Asteraceae family and the genus Dahlia, native to the high plateaus of Mexico and Central America. It is a perennial with tubercles, not hardy: its tubercles do not withstand frost and waterlogged soil well. The aerial vegetation is deciduous: the foliage and stems completely disappear after the first frosts. The tubercles, stored away from frost, start again vigorously in spring.
In the official horticultural classification, Dahlia ‘Sweet Surprise’ is listed in Group 5, Decorative Dahlias, characterised by double flower heads, without an apparent central disc, with wide, flat or slightly rolled ligules. This cultivar was obtained by the Dutch hybridiser L.J.C.W. Berbee and introduced to the market in 2013 by P.J.M. van Schie. It is regularly highlighted in dahlia collections and mixtures for bouquets. It is sometimes spelled ‘Sweet Surprice’.
The plant has a bushy, well-ramified habit, with green stems slightly tinged with purple, hollow, but robust, reaching 0.90 to 1 m in height. The foliage, a bright green, is composed of pinnate leaves with ovate leaflets, with a weakly dentate margin. The flower heads, fully double, measure 10 to 12 cm in diameter. The external ligules (or "petals") are gently inclined, a very pale lilac pink, washed with white towards the base, while the inner petals are tinged with a slightly deeper lilac. Flowering spreads from July until October, or even November in a mild climate, provided you regularly remove the spent flowers.
Dahlia ‘Sweet Surprise’ has its place in the garden and in bouquets. In a bed, it pairs wonderfully with pastel dahlias like ‘Eveline’ or ‘Wizard of Oz’, airy perennials like hastate vervain (Verbena hastata), ornamental grasses or a bronze fennel for a very contemporary "cut flower garden" feel. In a vase, it makes an ideal focal flower in a boho chic bridal bouquet, surrounded by scabious in cream or mauve, masterworts, a few stems of Orlaya grandiflora and some eucalyptus foliage. As a centrepiece, it naturally associates with very double roses in powdery tones and a few pastel common yarrows.
Dahlias, introduced to Europe at the end of the 18th century as ornamental plants, but also as a potential food crop, sparked a veritable 'dahlia-mania' in the 19th century, particularly in France, where collectors and horticulturists were already competing to create new varieties with highly diverse colours and forms.
Plant habit
Flowering
Foliage
Botanical data
Dahlia
Sweet Surprise
Asteraceae
Decorative dahlia
Cultivar or hybrid
Planting and care
Dahlia 'Sweet Surprise' is easy to grow in all regions. For generous flowering, it is good to follow a few simple rules: plant the tubercles in a full sun position after the last frosts; rich, cool, and well-drained soils are perfect. However, stagnant moisture would encourage the tubercles to rot. Do not hesitate to amend the soil with compost and sand if needed. Work the soil deeply and enrich it, for example, with ground horn or dried blood. Place your tubercle and crumble the soil well to fill in without air pockets. Your dahlia should be covered with about 6 cm of soil. At the end of planting, water thoroughly once and then repeat this watering regularly for the first 6 weeks to help with rooting.
Dahlias are sensitive to cold and need to be overwintered. In November, the first frosts blacken the foliage; this is the time to lift them. Dig up the tubercles carefully. Remove as much soil as possible. Allow the foliage to dry so that the tubercles can replenish their reserves. Then cut the stems to 10 cm. Spread your bulbs in a crate on newspaper. Store them in a frost-free, dry, cool, and dark place, such as a frost-free garage or an attic. In southern regions, near the coast, experiencing only a few frosty days per year, it is possible to leave them in place. In this case, simply cover the soil with a carpet of leaves or straw as protection.
This Dahlia, with its hollow stems, is still sensitive to strong winds or heavy rain. To overcome this drawback, you can stake it, but, you must agree, it is not very aesthetic. On the other hand, by pinching the stems early or removing the axial flower buds, you will spread the habit of the plant, which will offer more resistance to bad weather. At the same time, you thus channel the flow of sap to a single flower, which will become larger and stronger.
Planting period
Intended location
Care
Planting & care advice
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Hardiness is the lowest winter temperature a plant can endure without suffering serious damage or even dying. However, hardiness is affected by location (a sheltered area, such as a patio), protection (winter cover) and soil type (hardiness is improved by well-drained soil).
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The flowering period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions located in USDA zone 8 (France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, etc.)
It will vary according to where you live:
- In zones 9 to 10 (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), flowering will occur about 2 to 4 weeks earlier.
- In zones 6 to 7 (Germany, Poland, Slovenia, and lower mountainous regions), flowering will be delayed by 2 to 3 weeks.
- In zone 5 (Central Europe, Scandinavia), blooming will be delayed by 3 to 5 weeks.
In temperate climates, pruning of spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia, spireas, etc.) should be done just after flowering.
Pruning of summer-flowering shrubs (Indian Lilac, Perovskia, etc.) can be done in winter or spring.
In cold regions as well as with frost-sensitive plants, avoid pruning too early when severe frosts may still occur.
The planting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions located in USDA zone 8 (France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands).
It will vary according to where you live:
- In Mediterranean zones (Marseille, Madrid, Milan, etc.), autumn and winter are the best planting periods.
- In continental zones (Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, etc.), delay planting by 2 to 3 weeks in spring and bring it forward by 2 to 4 weeks in autumn.
- In mountainous regions (the Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathians, etc.), it is best to plant in late spring (May-June) or late summer (August-September).
The harvesting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions in USDA zone 8 (France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...) fruit and vegetable harvests are likely to be delayed by 3-4 weeks.
In warmer areas (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), harvesting will probably take place earlier, depending on weather conditions.
The sowing periods indicated on our website apply to countries and regions within USDA Zone 8 (France, UK, Ireland, Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...), delay any outdoor sowing by 3-4 weeks, or sow under glass.
In warmer climes (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), bring outdoor sowing forward by a few weeks.