Dahlia coccinea

Dahlia coccinea, the scarlet dahlia, is a wild species native to the mountains of Mexico south to El Salvador, growing on well-drained hillsides and rocky banks. A bushy, tuberous perennial 90 to 150 cm tall, it bears numerous simple flower heads 7 to 10 cm across, vivid orange to scarlet with golden centres, throughout summer and autumn. It is a parent of many garden cultivars. Grow in well-drained soil in full sun; tubers are frost-tender and should be protected or lifted in cold climates.