Plant Care Library

Other Names:  Dark Side of the Sun Dahlia

Group/Class:  Mystic Series

Description:

This striking dahlia is a vigorous bloomer, producing orange brushed blooms with yellow halos surrounding dark centers; deadhead spent flowers; wonderful along borders or in containers

Ornamental Features

Mystic™ Haze Dahlia features showy yellow round flowers with orange overtones and deep purple eyes at the ends of the stems from mid summer to mid fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive serrated pointy leaves remain black in color with hints of purple throughout the season. The deep purple stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Mystic™ Haze 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. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Mystic™ Haze Dahlia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Mystic™ Haze Dahlia will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 16 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. 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 applying a thick mulch around the root zone 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.

Mystic™ Haze Dahlia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.