I’m looking for a dahlia variety that will grow well in the South. I live in Waco, TX and I’ve tried planting them in numerous locations, but the plants and tubers never make it through summer.
A visit to the Plant Delights Nursery website www.plantdelights.com/Catalog or their catalogue will reveal several heat hardy dahlias you may want to try. The Mexican Cutleaf Dahlia, Dahlia dissecta var. sublignosa grows about 30 inches tall with spikes of single lavender pink flowers atop fine textured foliage. For a big statement in the garden try the Giant Tree Dahlia, Dahlia imperialis. It grows to 108 inches tall and looks like a tropical tree in the landscape. The single pink flowers open late, sometimes not at all in zone 7, in the season. Both plants prefer full to part sun and are hardy in zones 7 to 10.