Mexico National Symbols: National Flower
Dahlia (common name)
Dahlia pinnata (scientific name)
Designation
Official
Also Known As
Indian peony
Classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Eudicots
- Order: Asterales
- Family: Asteraceae
- Genus: Dahlia
- Species: D. pinnata
The Flower
Dalias constitute a group of bushy, tuberous perennial plants indigenous to Mexico, Central America and Colombia. There are at least 35 species, ranging in height from 30 cm (12 in) to 10 m (33 ft). Most of the cultivars grown today are hybrids, attaining moderate heights at best but displaying spectacularly large, waxy blooms up to 30 cm in diameter. Technically, dahlia flowers are aggregations of disk and ray florets. In domesticated varieties, the ray florets are shortened and dominate the disk florets, increasing the beauty of the blooms. Flower colors range widely, from white through various shades of red and purple. The stems are long and woody, and support vigorous growths of serrated, trifoliate leaves. The plants are hermaphroditic, and the blooms are pollinated by insects.
Physical Details
Duration: Perennial
Plant: Tuberous, robust bush
Mature Height: 1 m (40 in)
Flowering: June-October
Flower Size: 5-30 cm (2-12 in)
Flower Color: White to red and purple, and all shades and hues in between
Leaves: 2.5-7.5 cm (1-3 in), trifoliate, serrated, medium to bright green leaves
Fruit-Seed Color: Brown
Habitat
Location: Wild species grow in upland valleys and on mountain slopes between 1,200–2,400 m (4,000–8,000 ft); domesticated hybrids can grow at any elevation as long as they are provided full sun and fertile soil.
Range: Originally from Mexico and Central America; now domesticated globally.
Trivia
- Named after the Swedish 18th-century botanist, Anders Dahl, dahlias were first noted by Spanish naturalist and physician Francisco Hernández during an exploration of Mexico in 1615; however, his accounts of discovering two stunning varieties of the flower were not published until 1651. Dahlias were cultivated in Madrid in 1789 from seeds sent from the botanical garden of Mexico City. By the early 1800s, European horticulturists had begun breeding dahlias in earnest, a process that ultimately resulted in thousands of spectacular cultivars. The diversity of the genus can be attributed to pumped-up genetics. Most hybrid dahlias are octoploid: they have eight sets of homologous chromosomes, as opposed to the two sets claimed by most plants.
- The Dahlia was named the national flower of Mexico in 1963.
- Dahlias can be grown from either tubers or seeds; both the tubers and petals are edible.
Copyright © 1993—2024 World Trade Press. All rights reserved.