Dark-leaved dahlias

Dark foliage makes a dahlia look good before it flowers and makes bright blooms stand out. Bishop of Llandaff, bred in Cardiff and named in 1924, made the look famous. Most of these varieties have single or semi-double flowers with open centres, which bees and other pollinators can reach easily.

Variety	Flower	Foliage	Height	RHS Award of Garden Merit
Bishop of Llandaff	Scarlet, single to semi-double	Dark purple, almost black	about 1 m (3 ft)	Yes (1928)
David Howard	Bronze-orange double, up to 10 cm	Dark, bronze-tinged	about 90 cm (3 ft)	Yes
Twyning's After Eight	White single, about 8 cm, deep yellow centre	Very dark blackish-brown	up to 1 m (3 ft)	Yes
Moonfire	Golden-yellow single, red at the base, purple centre	Bronze	60–75 cm (2–2.5 ft)	Yes
Mystic Illusion	Lemon-yellow single, dark centre	Very dark bronze, almost black	about 75 cm (2.5 ft)	Yes
Bishop of Auckland	Dark red single, about 9 cm	Dark green flushed purple to black	up to 1 m (3 ft)	No
Bishop of Canterbury	Magenta-red	Purple-bronze	0.5–1 m (1.5–3 ft)	No

The Award of Garden Merit is the Royal Horticultural Society's mark of a reliable garden plant. Heights and flower details are from each variety's RHS page, linked above. Wikipedia is the source for Bishop of Llandaff.

Growing them in Massachusetts

All dahlias are half-hardy: frost blackens the foliage. Plant tubers once the frost danger has passed, in full sun and fertile, free-draining soil. Lift the tubers after the first frost and store them dry and frost-free over winter. Our dahlia storage guide has the steps, and the growing calendar has the timing. We grow Bishop of Llandaff and other dahlias.

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