Dahlia 'Verrone's Obsidian' 'Verrones Obsidian'

A truly striking "orchid-flowered" dahlia that adds a touch of the exotic to UK gardens. 'Verrone's Obsidian' features unique, star-shaped flowers with narrow, pointed petals that recurve slightly. The colour is an extraordinarily deep, velvety black-maroon, contrasted brilliantly by a bright yellow central eye. The flowers are held on dark, wiry stems and appear in great numbers from July until the frosts. The plant itself is relatively compact, reaching about 70-80cm, and possesses dark, fine-textured foliage. It is highly attractive to bees and makes a great addition to a contemporary or "Gothic" garden scheme. Because of its dark colours, it looks best when planted where it can be backlit by the sun or paired with lime-green foliage. Tubers should be planted out 10-15cm deep in late spring and require lifting and storing in a frost-free place over winter in most of the UK.

Sun: Full sun.

Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil.

Hardiness: H3 — down to −5°C.

Flowering: Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.