'Cranberry Classic' Dahlia
Perennial
- Showy dahlia with layered pink & cranberry-red petals!
- Colorful blooms look simply romantic in cut flower arrangements.
- Sun-loving perennial perfect for brightening borders & hedges.
- Tuberous roots allow cold-climate gardeners (zones 3-7) to dig them up for the following year.
- Hardiness zones 8-10, 36-40" tall with 6” blooms.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Dahlias are hardy in zones 8-10, and tubers can be left in the ground to perennialize for beautiful blooms year after year. If you live in growing zones 3-7, dahlia flowers likely won't survive the chilly winter months. However, digging up the dahlia tubers and properly storing them in a cool, dark place over winter means you can grow these beautiful flowers again next summer. If you're a cold-climate gardener, learn more about storing dahlia tubers after the growing season in our blog: How to Plant Dahlia Tubers: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners.
Details
Common name: Dahlia
Hardiness zones: 8-10
Suitable zones: 3-10 with special winter protection in zones 3-7.
Sun exposure: Sun (> 6 hours direct sunlight)
Height x width: 36-40” inches tall.
Flower color: Pink & red
Foliage color: Green
Planting Season: Late spring to early summer
Season of interest: Summer to fall.
Bloom time: Midummer through fall.
Features: Proven Winners, low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly, cut flower, container-friendly, heat-tolerant
Uses: Border, mass planting, container plantings, cut flower, cottage garden, pollinator garden
How to Grow
Light: Full sun. Dahlias thrive in 6-8 hours of direct sun, with an additional fondness for morning sun.
Planting Depth: 4-6" inches deep.
Water: Average once established. When planting the tuber, watering is not encouraged immediately as it may encourage rot, but as soon as the dahlias are above ground, water deeply to encourage root growth. Keep Dahlia foliage as dry as possible in order to discourage disease.
Spacing: Minimum 12-18” inches apart.
Fertilizing: You can apply a 5-10-10 or 10-20-20 fertilizer after the dahlias begin to sprout, then reapply every three weeks from mid-summer until fall.
Winterizing: Lift in zones 3-7 before first frost. Zones 8-10 may either lift their tubers before frost or cover thickly with mulch.
Maintenance & pruning: Cut back foliage in preparation for digging the tubers up before the first frost. Leave around 1-2" of stem on the tubers.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.