Dahlias and Companion Plants – Purple & Apricot Theme

Perennial Combinations, Plant Combinations, Flowerbeds Ideas, Summer Borders, Fall Borders

Border ideas, Perennial Planting, Perennial combination, Fall Borders, Summer Borders, Dahlia Apricot Desire, Dahlia First Love, Dahlia Thomas Edison, Dahlia Nepos, Persicaria Atrosanguinea, Helenium Moerhein Beauty, Helenium Loysder Wieck

Injecting color, drama, and late-summer fireworks in the garden, dahlias look fabulous on their own or combined with other plants. Many are graceful and integrate well into most borders, creating appealing planting combinations and providing interest from mid-summer until the first frost.

To help you plan your summer or early fall garden, here is a plant combination, in shades of purple and glowing apricot, which includes 4 ravishing Dahlias, ‘Apricot Desire’, ‘Nepos’, ‘Thomas Edison’ and ‘Happy Single First Love’.

They are interplanted with easy-growing plants such as Sedum telephium ‘Purple Emperor’, Eupatorium maculatum ‘Gateway’ (Joe-Pye Weed), Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ and ‘Loysder Wieck’ (Sneezeweed), and Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Atrosanguinea’ (Mountain Fleece).

Most plants make excellent fresh-cut flowers that can be pleasantly enjoyed at home!

Garden Information

Hardiness	4 - 7
Heat Zones	1 - 8
Climate Zones	3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Exposure	Full Sun
Season of Interest	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Maintenance	Average
Water Needs	Average
Soil Type	Loam
Soil pH	Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy
Attracts	Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Landscaping Ideas	Beds And Borders
Garden Styles	City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Traditional Garden

Plants In This Garden

Dahlia 'Apricot Desire'

Totally gorgeous, Dahlia ‘Apricot Desire’ produces fully double soft apricot flowers, blending to pale yellow at the base of their broad petals.

Hardiness	8 - 11
Plant type	Bulbs, Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Soil Type	Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Ph	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Showy
Attracts	Butterflies

Dahlia 'Nepos'

Bred in Belgium, Dahlia ‘Nepos’ is a breathtaking Waterlily Dahlia with delicate lilac-pink florets that fade to white towards their base.

Hardiness	8 - 11
Plant type	Bulbs, Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Soil Type	Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Ph	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Showy
Attracts	Butterflies

Dahlia 'Thomas Edison'

Dahlia ‘Thomas Edison’ is an eye-catching Dinner Plate Dahlia with huge and magnificent, deep purple blossoms. The fully double flowers, up to 8 in. wide (20 cm), are borne atop strong, sturdy stems. Blooming prodigiously from midsummer until frost, this dahlia grows up to 3-4 ft. tall (90-120 cm). It looks amazing when mixed with bright red or tangerine dahlias or grown among tall ornamental grasses.

Hardiness	8 - 11
Plant type	Bulbs, Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Soil Type	Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Ph	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Showy
Attracts	Butterflies, Bees

Dahlia 'Happy Single First Love'

With a glorious dark foliage set against masses of apricot-pink flowers that have a small red ring surrounding their dark-brown centers, Dahlia ‘Happy Single First Love’ is a particularly striking Dahlia. The single flowers, up to 4 in. wide (11 cm), blend nicely with other plants and add welcomed color and form to the late season garden.

Hardiness	8 - 11
Plant type	Bulbs, Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Height	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Soil Type	Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Ph	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Showy
Attracts	Bees, Butterflies

Helenium 'Loysder Wieck' (Sneezeweed)

Flowering profusely in a riot of cheerful colors, Helenium ‘Loysder Wieck’ or ‘Carnival’ features masses of attractive blossoms with slender in-rolled yellow ray florets, revealing their caramel-coffee underside

Hardiness	3 - 8
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Soil Type	Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Ph	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Showy
Tolerance	Deer, Rabbit, Clay Soil, Wet Soil
Attracts	Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Helenium 'Moerheim Beauty' (Sneezeweed)

Award-winner Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ is highly prized by gardeners for its extremely long blooming season and its unique and outstanding color

Hardiness	3 - 8
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Soil Type	Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Ph	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance	Deer, Rabbit, Clay Soil, Wet Soil
Attracts	Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Alba' (Mountain Fleece)

Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Alba’ is a well-behaved, upright perennial that forms dense clumps. It features elegant, narrow spires adorned with small, bell-shaped white flowers. Blooming from midsummer to fall, these beautiful blooms rise gracefully above the foliage of large, pointed, mid-green leaves.

Hardiness	4 - 8
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Soil Type	Clay, Loam
Soil Ph	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained, Moisture Retentive, Poorly Drained
Characteristics	Dried Arrangements, Cut Flowers, Showy
Tolerance	Deer, Rabbit
Attracts	Birds, Butterflies, Bees

Sedum telephium 'Purple Emperor' (Stonecrop)

Long-lived and drought tolerant, award-winner Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’ is a lovely sight in the landscape with its masses of rosy-pink flowers, densely packed in large umbrella-shaped flower heads, and showing off atop bright reddish-purple stems clad with dark purple, fleshy leaves

Hardiness	3 - 9
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall, Winter
Height	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Soil Type	Chalk, Loam, Sand
Soil Ph	Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance	Drought, Deer, Rabbit, Dry Soil, Rocky Soil, Clay Soil
Attracts	Bees, Butterflies

Eupatorium maculatum (Atropurpureum Group) 'Gateway' (Joe-Pye Weed)

Highly popular, Eupatorium maculatum (Atropurpureum Group) ‘Gateway’ (Joe-Pye Weed) is loved by gardeners for its large, densely packed clusters of mauve-pink flowers, up to 8 in. wide (20 cm), atop sturdy reddish-purple stems.

Hardiness	4 - 8
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall, Winter
Height	5' - 6' (150cm - 180cm)
Spread	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Soil Type	Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Ph	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance	Deer, Salt, Rabbit, Clay Soil, Wet Soil
Attracts	Bees, Birds, Butterflies

How Many Plants Do I Need?

Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas

Persicaria Sedum (Stonecrop) Dahlia Eupatorium (Joe-Pye Weed) Helenium (Sneezeweed)

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Alternative Plants to Consider

Dahlia ‘Megan Dean’

Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’ (Mountain Fleece)

Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ (Sneezeweed)

Dahlia ‘Moonfire’

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.