PlantFiles Pictures: Tree Dahlia (Dahlia imperialis), 1 by Happenstance

Happenstance wrote:
Update - 9 days later some additional information on my Dahlia imperialis.

Despite temperatures hovering at 40F for the last couple of weeks we are still frost free and the buds have continued to develop. Several strong Pacific/Alaskan storms have battered the San Francisco Bay Area for the last several days. Heavy monsoon type rains and winds clocked at 60+mph yesterday.

The plant is basically denuded of foliage up to about the 8foot level, but the newer leaves and the buds have been hanging on for dear life. After all this time, it truly was worth the wait for even a few flowers.

Turns out this is a double or semi-double white form, not the standard single pink. I bought it at a UC Berkeley Botanical Garden sale and should have known it would be something special. Still many more buds to open, although most of them are out of camera reach over the roof of the greenhouse.

Here are a couple of images of the flowers.