Rip City Decorative Dahlia

(36-48 tall x 24 wide) Dahlias dont have to be the size of dinner plates to be stunning additions to your border! Rip City Dahlia is more of a salad-plate cultivar, with mid-summer blooms measuring 4-6 inches across on strong, on 3 ft. stems. Blooms are deep wine-red and appear almost black in the centermaking them a great contrast for hotter colors in the border like yellows and golds. Plant Rip City Dahlia in full sun with some shelter from high wind. Dahlias prefer moisture-retentive soil that drains well, or the tubers will rot. Consider planting versatile Rip City Dahlia with blousy annuals such as tall verbena or with the feathery foliage of an ornamental grass like Maiden Grass (Miscanthus). Rip City Dahlia makes a great cut flower and lasts a long time in the vase. Light pinching of the growing shoots will make a bushier plant. Deadheading the fading blooms will increase blooming later into the season.