Dahlia
Society of California is interested in promoting |
Just
as in any subject, trivial information about Dahlia and
growing Dahlia are fun to read. From time to time, we will
include more of these. We welcome DSC members and friends of DSC
to submit new trivia questions to the
editor.
Answers to the question can either be obtained by placing your cursor on the picture or via hyperlink. |
Q: Dahlias were originally native to Mexico. Do you know the romantic history of how it became such a popular plant in the 1800 when some 10,000 new varieties of dahlias were introduced and ranked right up there in popularity with roses? |
In 1570 King Phillip
II of Spain sent Francisco Hernandez to Mexico to study
the natural resources of the country. He stayed for 7
years and described plants that resemble dahlia species
under the names, Acocotli and Cocoxochitl. The first
drawings were made of the dahlias by an associate who
was traveling with Hernandez and were published in 1651.
They disappeared from record until 1787 when a botanical expedition sent seeds back to their headquarters in Europe. Their existence was kept secret for another ten years. The history of their introduction is confusing. Spanish invaders sent them home to the Old World, but dahlias did not take European gardeners by storm. In the early 19th century seeds were sent to Berlin, where they were named after Dahl. When they returned to the New World, they were known as ~Mexican Georginas.~ The first dahlias to make their way from Mexico were in Empress Josephine's garden at Malmaison. Josephine was very protective of her dahlia collection. During that time, a good dahlia could be traded for a diamond. Fearing the rare tubers might fall into someone else's hands, she alone cared for the plants. When one of her loyal ladies-in-waiting hatched a plot to get a tuber, Josephine banished her and ordered the dahlias to be destroyed. Because a disease in the early 1840's had destroyed the French potato crop, the scientists at that time looked at the dahlia as a possible source of food. However after tasting the dahlia they gave up the idea and decided just to grow it for its beauty. There is story from the eighteenth century concerning love and dahlias. Sir Godfrey Webster was living in Florence with his wife when Lord Holland came to town. Lady Webster eloped with Lord Holland . The love affair between the two blossomed into a long and happy marriage. From 1800 and 1805 they lived in France and in Spain where Lady Holland first saw dahlias that had reached Spain about 15 years before. She sent some home to England and it is on the strength of that shipment that she is given credit for the introduction of the dahlia into England. A very good reading
source for the history and other aspects of Dahlia is
the
Encyclopedia of Dahlias by Bill McClaren. |
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