Dahlias for the Senior Center: Appleblossom

Appleblossom dahlia
Photo by John Hibbs

Appleblossom was first introduced to Dahlia lovers in 1986. She is a "collarette", having a planar layer of petals behind a collared open center. Very attractive to pollinators, the blooms appear prolifically on a 4' bush and have long thin stems for cutting, often multiple blooms to a stem.

Her outer petals are a soft buttercream blend of whites and yellows that blush to a delicate peach, more as the nights get colder in late season. A pink collar of shortened petals surrounds her intricate orange center.

This color scheme combines well with Café au Lait, featured in SAN three weeks ago. The delicate blooms begin to lose petals sooner in a bouquet than some varieties, especially in hot weather, so are best cut before fully open.

This and other blooms are available at the Ridgecrest Pub on NE 165th at 5th NE, for a donation to the Senior Center. New bouquets every Tuesday and Friday.

--Flowers and information from Ridgecrest resident John Hibbs, ND.