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Dahlia imperialis

I was given a rooted cutting of this species in early June this year
and having potted it on into a 15" container, it has leapt up to over
7 feet high, with 3, 'wrist thick' main stems.  The 2 foot+ long,
aralia-like, pinnate leaves are very handsome and whilst I do not
expect to see its pale, white stained mauve flowers this year, I'm
hopeful that it will perform during next summer.  Frost is a
considerable rarity in my garden and winter night lows seem to hover
around 40/45F.  The only drawback may be that our winters are
generally very wet, with many totally sunless, rainy days.  This can
cause problems with species that are susceptible to fungal rots and
various moulds.  I'm not sure whether to dry it off for the winter and
store the tuber until early next spring, or to try and retain its top
growth.

Does anyone have any direct experience of growing this species?  I've
seen very poor, weedy, 10 foot high specimens growing and flowering in
Tenerife, but have yet to see it discussed to any extent.  I know that
it is a sub-tropical, native of Mexico and capably of reaching well
over 15 feet high, but apart from technical details about this
species, I can find little else about it.

I would like to know how cold tolerant this plant is (without any
detriment to flowering capacity) and whether it can make sufficient
growth from the roots in one season for it to produce flowers.  Also
(again related to flowering) how long a growing season does D.
imperialis need?   Everyone that I know over here, claims that it will
not flower out of doors in the UK, but having broken nearly every rule
in the book over the past few years, I'm taking those assertions with
an immense pinch of salt.  

I've got money riding on whether I can flower it outside by October 31
1998, so any help with this would be greatly appreciated <G>.

David Poole
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