Dahlia Flowers
Name : Dahlia Flowers
Latin Name : Genus: Dahlia (Dahlia coccinea x Dahlia pinnata)
Dahlia Description
Dahlia is a genus of about 36 species of bushy, tuberous, perennial plants in the Family Asteraceae. The Dahlia genus is native to Mexico, Colombia, and Central America. The dahlia derives its name from the 18th-century Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. “Dahlia” is a Swedish name which means "From The Valley".
Dahlia was first noticed by F. Hernández who visited Mexico in 1615 and found two spectacular varieties of dahlias, which he mentioned in his account of medicinal plants of New Spain, not published until 1651. The botanical garden of Mexico City sent seeds to Madrid which flowered for the first time in the botanical garden in October 1789, and were named Dahlia coccinea by Antonio José Cavanilles, the head of the Madrid Botanical Garden. Lord Bute got hold of a few seeds and sent them to England, where they flowered but were lost. However, the first named varieties of dahlia imported into Europe were Dahlia rosea, Dahlia pinnata and Dahlia coccinea. In Germany the dahlia was known during most of the 19th century as Georgia, having been named after the naturalist Johann Gottlieb Georgi of St. Petersburg, Russia.
Dahlias are undoubtedly one of the most spectacular garden flowers.Hybrids of Dahlia are commonly grown as garden plants. Dahlias present a great variety of form ranging from the showy dinner-plate size to the eye-catching, bright, little ones about an inch across. Similarly the plant height varies greatly among different varieties ranging from dwarf bedders about twelve inches high to giants taller than a man. Initially the Ball and Small Decorative Dahlias became extremely popular but with the passage of time new cultivars have been developed and now the Large Decorative and Cactus varieties are considered favourites by most.
Dahlias like rich, well-drained soil and plenty of sun. Dahlias can be propagated easily from seeds as well as from tubers planted in spring. Dahlia seeds germinate in about 5-7 days but can germinate a little faster when a heating mat is used, they can also be placed on top of a refrigerator for heat. In order to get maximum sized flowers, pinch out some buds. If only one bud is allowed to develop, the resulting flower will be of the largest possible size.
The Dahlia pinnata is often incorrectly referred to as garden dahlia. In reality all modern dahlias are hybrids between species, the most common being the products of crossing Dahlia coccinea with Dahlia pinnata.
Dahlia flowers are very popular in floristry and the cut flower industry as well. Their vase life is about 2 to 14 days but they do need care or they can wilt quickly. Dahlias are often grown for flower competitions as well.
Different Dahlia varieties are available on the basis of their size, flowering patterns and resemblance to other flowers like Single-flowered Dahlias, Anemone-flowered Dahlias, Collerette Dahlias, Waterlily Dahlias, Decorative Dahlias, Ball Dahlias, Pompon Dahlias, Cactus Dahlias, Fimbriated Dahlias, Single Orchid Dahlias (Star) and Double Orchid Dahlias.
Dahlia Meaning
Dahlias are beautiful, spicy flowers and they portray meanings ranging from A Sign of Warning, to Travel, to Change, to even a portent of Betrayal. Dahlias also mean Dignity, Elegance, Forever Thine, Gratitude, Pomp, Instability and Misrepresentation.
Different coloured varieties symbolize different meanings:
Double Dahlia means Participation
Single Dahlia shows Good Taste
Variegated Dahlia symbolizes “I think of you constantly”
White Dahlia is for showing Gratitude to Parents
Yellow Dahlia means "I am happy you love me"
Dahlia is the birth flower of the month of August.
The dahlia also happens to be the official flower of the city of Seattle, and the national flower of Mexico.
The majestic dahlia is also known as Tenjikubotan in Japanese, which literally translates into 'Peony of India.'
According to the Japanese language of flowers, the delicate Dahlia means 'Good Taste'.
Due to the varied symbolic meanings associated with the dahlia, this flower acts as a wild card. You can present a dahlia to that unique, eclectic person to compliment their “wild” side. Get imaginative and combine them with beautiful, slender irises or tulips for a combined symbolic message that says “temper your adventures with a kind heart.”
Dahlia Mythology
This enchanting flower has been used by the Aztecs as a treatment for epilepsy. It is also believed that the Aztecs gathered and cultivated the dahlia for ceremonies, decorative purposes, as well as food and the long woody stem of one variety was used for making small pipes. The Europeans used the tubers as a source of food in the 1840s when disease destroyed the French potato crop.
Legend has it that the Aztec goddess, Serpent Woman, used to visit an eagle to gain knowledge of the sky gods. On one of her visits, she saw a rabbit, holding a beautiful dahlia with eight red rays in its mouth. The gods advised the Serpent Woman to pierce the flower with a sharp spike of agave and hold this to her breast all night long. The next morning, the goddess delivered a full-grown son, Utzilopochtli, the War God, who had gained strength for war and thirst for blood from the dahlia.
