(Dahlia 'Kidd's Climax') DAL-ee-ah Genus:  Dahlia The pink-and-cream dinner-plate-sized 'Kidd's Climax' of 1947 has 10-inch flowers atop 4-foot-tall plants. Noteworthy Characteristics:  Huge blooms of a luscious blend of pink and creamy yellow. Sturdy and free-flowering.  Care:  Full sun and well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Fertilize weekly during growth. May need staking. Pinch, remove branches and buds, and deadhead to lengthen the flowering season. Propagation:  In late winter or early spring, start tubers in a greenhouse and take basal shoot cuttings. Or divide clumps into pieces, each with a shoot, and plant out after danger of frost has passed. Problems:  Aphids, stem borders, spider mites, caterpillars, earwigs, cucumber beetles, capsid bugs, flower thrips, planthoppers, slugs. Powdery mildew, impatiens necrotic spot, dahlia mosaic viruses, smut, fungal leaf spots, soft rot, crown gall, blossom blights (especially gray mold), and tomato spotted wilt virus.

Overview

Height 3 ft. to 6 ft. Spread 1 ft. to 3 ft. Growth Habit Clumps Growth Pace Moderate Grower Light Full Sun Only Moisture Medium Moisture Maintenance High Characteristics Attracts Butterflies, Showy Flowers Bloom Time Early Fall, Fall, Late Summer, Summer Flower Color Pink, Yellow Uses Beds and Borders, Cottage Garden, Cut Flower Style Formal Garden Seasonal Interest Summer Interest Type Perennials