Plants are among the most abundant organisms on the planet, covering much of the Earth's terrestrial surface and found on almost every continent. There are millions of species, each one unique. Flowers are the reproductive structures of plants and are often affiliated with bright colors and bushy petals. One of the more widespread is the Dahlia.
What are Dahlias?
A dahlia is genus of plants from Colombia, Central America and Mexico. They are bushy and perennial, meaning they typically live for more than two years. The genus, which contains around 36 species, was grown by the Aztecs for food and decoration. Today, hybrid Dahlias are commonly used in gardens for decorative purposes. It is named for the 18th century Swedish botanist, Anders Dahl.
What's its History?
French botanist Nicolas-Joseph Thiery de Menonville was sent to Mexico in the late 18th century to capture an insect known for its dye when he noticed particularly beautiful Dahlias, which he noted in his official report. Dahlias flowered for the first time in Madrid in October 1789, and from there more seeds were spread across the world. In 1813, florists began breeding Dahlias by the thousands, creating many different colors and floral patterns. Today, the Dahlia is the national flower of Mexico, an accolade it's had since 1963.
What's it Look Like?
Dahlias come in a variety of colors and today have been hybridized with other flowers creating even more colors: brown purple, to yellow, to blue and red to everything in between. Most natural viruses are pale violet or amethyst. Their sizes are highly varied, with some plants growing only as tall as 12 inches while others extend upward of 8 feet tall. The Dahlia flowers' sizes are also extremely varied, with smaller flowers reaching about 2 inches in diameter with other flowers, known as "dinner plate flowers," reaching up to 1 foot across.
Competitions
Dahlias have become so popular that many fairs offer Dahlia competitions. Flowers are judged on color, size and overall attractiveness. Typically, dahlias grown for showing purposes are cultivated using intense fertilization regimes, with pesticides and inorganic fertilizers often employed. Recently, though, in the wake of a growing sensitivity toward environmental causes, show Dahlia growers have resorted to organic means of cultivation.
Diseases
As with other plants, Dahlias are prone to a variety of afflictions. They are susceptible to bacterial infections such as bacterial wilt and crown gall. Fungal diseases include flower blight, leaf spot, southern blight, smut, powdery mildew, stem and tube rot, cottony stem rot, and vascular wilt. They are also prone to several viral diseases, including mosaic virus and ringspot.
In Japan
In Japan, the Dahlia is known as the tenjikubotan, which means "Peony of India." It is also translated as "good taste."
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