Garden dahlia
A tuberous Mexican ornamental; single-flowered varieties give plenty of pollen in late summer and autumn, double ones are useless to bees.
- Nectar
- Low
- Pollen
- Good
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Pollen colour
- Height
- 0,6-1,5 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Garden dahlia is a tuberous ornamental from the mountains of Mexico. Its value for bees depends on the cultivar: varieties with a single row of petals and an open centre offer plenty of pollen and a little nectar, and honey bees and bumblebees visit them heavily. In double, pompon or cactus-flowered varieties the stamens and pistils have turned into petals, so almost nothing is left for bees.
Flowering
It flowers from July until the first frosts, that is into October or November. As faded flowers are removed, new ones follow, and a single plant gives pollen for months.
Honey and pollen
The pollen loads are orange-yellow. There is no honey under its name.
Note for the beekeeper
In autumn, pollen is important for colonies rearing winter bees; single-flowered dahlias in the garden help close the gap at this time. When buying plants or seed, make sure the variety is single-flowered. In cold regions the tubers should be lifted before frost and stored in a frost-free place.