Penhill Watermelon

Penhill Watermelon

Flower type: Informal decorative
Height: 4–5’
Staking/support required: Yes

Grower’s Notes:
A true dinnerplate dahlia with massive blooms in a swirl of peach, coral pink, watermelon, and soft lavender tones. Each flower is a little different from the last, with loosely ruffled petals and a relaxed, playful shape that always seems to be mid-dance.

Blooms regularly reach 10 to 12 inches across and look their best in the early morning or just before dusk, when the light catches the shifting tones. The plant grows tall and upright with good branching, but staking is essential to support the size and weight of the blooms.

It starts flowering in midsummer and carries on well into fall. Deadheading helps keep the blooms coming. In the vase, the flowers last longer than you’d expect for something this large, especially when picked at the just-right stage, about three-quarters open with firm petals.

This one always feels like a celebration. Bold, romantic, and full of movement, it turns heads in the garden and steals the show in arrangements.