Plant Care Library

Other Names:  Labella Grande Purple Dahlia

Group/Class:  LaBella Series

Description:

This dwarf variety will produce masses of rich purple flowers with yellow centers in mid summer that will mature to paler tones; wonderful along borders or in containers

Ornamental Features

LaBella Grande Purple Dahlia features showy purple round flowers with yellow eyes at the ends of the stems from mid to late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its serrated pointy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

LaBella Grande Purple Dahlia is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

LaBella Grande Purple Dahlia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

LaBella Grande Purple Dahlia will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 14 inches. The flower stalks can be weak and so it may require staking in exposed sites or excessively rich soils. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

LaBella Grande Purple Dahlia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.