We trial several hundred newly developed plants each year, and most never grace the pages of a PDN catalog, either because of performance or a lack of uniqueness. One that has fascinated us is Dahlia ‘Grandalia Burgundy Improved’. With a height and spread of 20″, you’d swear that this dahlia had either been regularly clipped or sprayed with growth regulators, neither of which are the case. The gem has been looking quite incredible in the garden, as it moves into its third year of trial. Obviously, it’s a perennial here in Zone 7b, but would be tender farther north. We’d love to hear your thoughts..
I would love this in my garden, but in hot, humid E Texas, my experience with Dahlias has not been good. Is this one any more heat-and-mildew resistant?
Not sure about heat tolerance in Dallas summers, but we haven’t seen any mildew issues.
This looks like a great plant that I would definitely like to try in my garden.
Looks like a winner and doesn’t need to be staked!
My concern is heat tolerance. Dahlias tend to melt in our hot and humid summers here in SW Ohio . They perk up with cooler fall weather.
Yes, many dahlias are just like some people who prefer to go semi-dormant in the heat of summer.
Were I not in zone 6b I would definitely add this to our perennial border. My attempt at dahlias here in central NJ was that they couldn’t get enough water, which wasn’t necessarily beneficial for other plants in that part of the bed. Despite all that, this is a stunning plant.