Rip City Dahlia Tubers

• Variety: Rip City
• Type: Semi-cactus
• Colour: Deep wine-red with a near-black heart. Velvety
• Flower size: 10 to 15cm across
• Height: 120cm
• Spread: 100cm
• Flowering: July to November
• Cutting: Yes. Long strong stems, dramatic in dark arrangements
• Rain resistance: Good. Semi-cactus form sheds water
• RHS AGM: No
• Sold as: Single tubers, hand-graded, Dutch first-class quality
• Plant outdoors: March to July, when soil reaches 15°C (typically May in most of the UK)
• Delivered: From March. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Rip City: The Dark Semi-Cactus That Started the Near-Black Craze

Rip City is the dahlia that made people want dark flowers. The blooms are a deep, velvety wine-red that gets darker and darker towards an almost black heart. The long, narrow petals recurve and twist, giving each flower a spiky, dramatic presence that's nothing like the rounded softness of a decorative or ball type. This is a dahlia with edges.

It's also a big plant. At 120cm tall and a metre across, Rip City fills serious space and needs proper staking. But the stems are strong and long, the flowers are held upright above the foliage, and the dark green leaves provide a clean backdrop for the near-black blooms. It produces flowers freely from mid-July right through to the first frosts.

As a cut flower, Rip City is superb. The long stems and dramatic colour make it the centrepiece of any dark autumn arrangement. Five stems on their own in a dark vase is a statement. Mix it with something pale and the contrast is electric.

Placing Rip City in a Scheme

Like all near-black flowers, Rip City needs lighter neighbours or it disappears into shadow. Plant it in groups of at least five for a massed effect, surrounded by white or silver. White Swan (pure white decorative, same height) is a natural partner. For a warm scheme, Preference (soft apricot semi-cactus, another 120cm plant introduced in 1911) provides texture contrast in the same spiky form but a completely different colour. At the front, the tight purple globes of Rocco (pompon, 75cm) pick up the dark tones at a lower level. Grey-leaved Artemisia or silver Stachys provide the foliage contrast that stops a dark scheme becoming a void.

Why buy from Ashridge?

Our dahlia tubers are Dutch first-class quality, imported direct and hand-graded by us. We look for and reject undersized tubers and clumps lacking enough growing points. Delivered by next-day courier from March, with our one-year plant guarantee, Feefo Platinum Service Award, and human support from the team in Somerset. Browse our cactus dahlia range or the complete dahlia collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rip City actually black?

The heart of the flower is close to black, and in shade or evening light the whole bloom reads as very dark. In direct sunlight you'll see the deep wine-red underneath. The velvety texture of the petals absorbs light, which deepens the impression. If you want the darkest dahlia we sell, Dark Spirit (compact decorative, 90cm) is even darker. Rip City is the better cutter of the two.

How does Rip City compare to Dark Spirit?

Dark Spirit is more compact (90cm, 7cm flowers), darker in colour, and has a spherical decorative form. Rip City is taller (120cm, 15cm flowers), slightly less dark, and has the spiky semi-cactus form. For a moody border, plant them together: Rip City at the back with its dramatic spikes, Dark Spirit in front with its tight dark globes.

Can I grow Rip City in a pot?

At 120cm tall and a metre wide, it's really too big for a container. It'll need constant feeding, watering, and the stems will blow around. Grow it in deep border soil with proper staking. If you want a dark dahlia for a pot, Dark Spirit at 90cm is much better suited. Our container guide covers what works.

Does Rip City need staking?

Yes. At 120cm with large flowers, it needs proper support. Put a stake or support ring in at planting time before the foliage gets in the way. In an exposed garden, a sturdy bamboo cane per stem is safer than a ring alone.

When should I start Rip City tubers?

You can plant directly outdoors from May when the soil reaches 15°C. For an earlier start, pot the tubers up indoors from March in damp compost, keep them frost-free and let the shoots develop, then plant out after the last frost. This gives you flowers two to three weeks earlier. Our starting tubers in spring guide explains the process.