Cornel Dahlia Plants & Tubers Dahlia Tubers

Cornel: Ball Dahlia Tubers

Cornel's middle name is perfection. With its deep-red velveteen petals and neat pompom shape, it's one of those flowers you can't help but marvel at. Each neat petal curves inwards to form a tube, and they're packed together tightly. So tactile!
Browse our other Ball Dahlias or our full range of Dahlias.

The colour is spectacular: the deepest, richest red, with a hint of purple at the centre. The stems are about a metre long and the flowers are about 10cm across. They make wonderful cut flowers, and keep well in a vase. The stems and foliage are deep green.

Features

• Colour: Deep maroon red
• Flower size: 7-10cm across
• Type: Ball dahlia
• Cutting: Yes
• Height/spread: 1.2m x 70cm
• Flowering: July to November
• Outdoor Planting Months: March to July

Growing Cornel Dahlias

All dahlias do best in deep rich soil with good drainage in a sunny spot. If it's windy they'll need staking. They're greedy, thirsty plants so will need watering in dry spells, and they'll always flower that little bit better if there is a bit of soluble food in the watering can once every couple of weeks.

It's generally more convenient to put support stakes in at planting time, rather than leaving it until there is foliage in the way.

Garden Design Ideas

Growing up to 1.2 metres tall, it's best planted towards the back of a sunny south or west-facing border, where it'll provide a glorious backdrop to other late-flowering, cottage-garden favourites such as penstemon, Verbena bonariensis, lavender and helenium.

Cornel combines well with other dahlias; try planting it in generous groups with other dahlias that have apricot shades, like the dinner plate shaped dahlia Fairway Spur, or another pompom variety such as Burlesca.

History & Trivia

This variety was introduced in 1994 by the Dutch husband and wife team Cor and Nellie Geerlings, and its name is a compound of theirs.