Tartan Decorative Dahlias

Dahlia Tartan

With more painterly stripes than a Scottish kilt, Tartan is a Dahlia that will turn heads and invite comment. It's a classic dinnerplate dahlia, with long, wavy petals in deep luscious blackcurrant - almost black at the centre - and pure bright white, the flowers up to 20cm across. It's tall, too, growing up to 110cm, with fresh green foliage and stems.

Tartan isn't the dahlia clan for everyone, admittedly, so if you prefer yours in subtler tones or shorter plants for the front of a border, you can browse the rest of the range here.

Grow plenty and pick plenty and you'll have flowers to bring indoors for vases throughout late summer and autumn. In fact, like all dahlias, the more you snip, the more Tartan will be encouraged to carry on flowering.

Growing Tartan Dahlias

Sun, good drainage and staking are all key when growing a tall dahlia like Tartan. Stake early, either at planting time or when the plant is about 30cm tall, spacing sturdy 90 cm wooden stakes 10-15cm from the main stems and tying in with twine as they grow. Dahlias all like a spot with plenty of sun, so south or west-facing is important, either in a border (towards the back) or in a cutting garden. Tartan may be a bit big for anything other than a very large pot. In a border, it would work well with a pure-white dahlia, preferably with a simpler flower shape - try a waterlily dahlia such as Le Castel for a pleasing contrast. Dahlias also look lovely with grasses, bringing a more relaxed, informal meadow feel. Something with fluffy white or purple flowerheads would look good with Tartan, one of the pretty pennisetums perhaps.

Features of Dahlia Tartan

• Colour: blackcurrant and white
• Flower size: 15-20cm
• Type: decorative dinnerplate
• Cutting: yes
• Height/spread; 110cm x 70cm
• Flowering: July to November

Planting months: end Feb to July. Details below:

• Tubers - in pots from end Feb in the ground from mid April
• Rooted Cuttings - pot up in late March, plant out in late May
• Pot grown - from end of May onwards

A Tartan with a long history

Tartan was introduced way back in 1951 and has been popular ever since.