Dahlia campanulata
320083817243-0001@t-online.de (Mon, 24 Oct 2005 14:27:01 PDT)

Dear Susan, Dear All,

My only experience with Dahlia campanulata is the following: I got an unnamed
cutting in early spring 2004 from a German Nursery that amongst others is
specialized in Dahlias and Gerbera. It was first grown under glass until danger
of frost was over and then planted in the open ground in my garden in fertile
moist sandy soil. It branched at the base and grew quite well and was the first
one to produce buds of all my tree Dahlias. Unfortunately the growth was killed
by the first frosts before it flowered. The tuber was lifted and stored and
potted this spring with the idea in mind to be able ot move a potted plant
under glass before the frosts to see the flowers. Unfortunately this tuber
never sprouted for reasons I do not know. There are still firm tubers in the
pot and I will keep it another season. Only after a visit to Copenhagen
Botanical Gardens in Denmark I was able to identify this so far unnamed
cutting. The shape of the leaves and especially the lengthwise ribbed stem are
so charateristic that it could only be D. campanulata. Copehagen has an amazing
collection of species Dahlia with an emphasis on the coccinea group.

The cutting was from an older plant so maybe seedlings will need another one or
two seasons to mature enough to flower. Or maybe it is a matter of an early
flowering clone? I did no special treatment except watering and fertilising
compared to my other Dahlias.

An interesting question for me is to know where you got the seed from, is this
a commercial source?

Greetings from Non-Tree-Dahlia-growing-climate (Germany)...... Uli