Dahlias are half hardy, so keep them protected from frost. Pot tubers individually between February and April and grow them on in a greenhouse or bright indoor position. Alternatively, start them outside in May, once the risk of frost has passed.
Out of season
Dahlia
'Embassy'
Embellish your garden with the jewel-like colour of Dahlia 'Embassy'. If this dahlia were an outfit, it would be glitzy enough to wear to a posh diplomatic reception! Dahlia 'Embassy' knows how to leave a lasting impression with intense colour alone - sumptuous crimson with a touch of burgundy in the main, contrasting silver on the undersides of each petal accumulates towards the centre to create a sophisticated two-tone look. This ball dahlia is very well turned out with its neat rounds of incurved petals forming a sphere, with not a petal out of place. It’s got stature too, standing tall and elegant at around 1.2m, guaranteed to get approving looks in a mixed border or as a specimen. Dahlia 'Embassy' works hard throughout the summer and into autumn, producing a series of gorgeous blooms on good straight stems which perfect for cutting and making a posy.
The sharp silver-pink colour contrast of Dahlia 'Embassy' makes it an eye-catching features for the garden. It would look fabulous with other deep-coloured dahlias for a display of rich colours which won’t look washed out in summer, and they’ll look so good in the soft light of late summer and early autumn. For an optimum display, give Dahlia 'Embassy' a prominent spot in the sunshine, and plant in fertile and free-draining soil, or improve heavy soils with plenty of good compost. Regular cutting of the flowers will encourage yet more to emerge, so don’t hesitate to use this dahlia for bouquets and indoor displays, it’s just as stunning in the house as it is out in the garden!
Quantity
Plant profile
Plant calendar
For planting out later, use a snug-fitting 15–20cm pot filled with peat-free multipurpose compost. For a patio display, plant directly into a container at least 30cm wide and keep it somewhere bright and frost free until it can move outdoors.
Position the old stem facing upwards, with the tubers covered and the stem stump level with the compost. Tubers naturally vary in size and shape and may arrive without visible buds. Bent necks are usually fine if they remain firmly attached, so do not remove them.
Water after planting, then allow the compost to become almost dry before watering again while the tuber remains dormant. Once shoots and leaves are growing strongly, water more regularly, always allowing excess water to drain away.
Plant out after the last frost, once the plant is around 20–30cm tall and its roots hold the compost together. Space dahlias approximately 30–50cm apart in borders, allowing less room for compact varieties. Water thoroughly after planting.
Water regularly during active growth and deadhead or cut flowers often. Dahlias usually bloom from July or August until the first frost, although later-planted tubers may start in late August or September. In autumn, lift, clean and dry the tubers, then store them somewhere cool, dry, airy and frost free.
- Botanical name
- Dahlia 'Embassy'
- Flower colour
- Burgundy, red
- Tuber size
- 1
- Established height
- 50-70m
- Established spread
- 30-50cm
- Growing skill
- Easy to grow
- Habit
- Upright
- Hardiness
- Half hardy
- Leaf colour
- Green
- Mouse resistant
- No
- Plant spacing
- 5 tubers per m2
- Pollinator friendly
- No
- Position
- Sheltered
- Rabbit resistant
- No
- Scented
- No
- Soil acidity
- Any
- Soil moisture
- Free draining
- Soil type
-
Loam
Sandy
Multipurpose compost
Loam-based compost - Suitable for
-
Large containers
Borders
Gravel gardens
Coastal gardens
Cottage gardens
Low maintenance gardens
Cut flower gardens - Sunlight
-
Full sun
Partial shade - Toxicity
- No report
- Years to establish
- 1st year
Good for cutting
Perfect for pots
Thrives in full sun
Perennial
Packed in paper
Low maintenance
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