What is this shrub

douglasmobbs

We have this lovely shurb that is flowering in October.  What is it and what would be the best way to propagate.

Ladybird4

It is a Dahlia and not a shrub. The first frosts will kill off all the top growth and depending how sheltered and southerly your garden, you could cover the area with a nice deep mulch of compost and the tuber from which Dahlias grow will be protected until growing again next year. Alternatively, once the foliage has died you can dig up the tuber, dry it off and keep it dry and frost free over Winter until you can start in into growth again in late Spring.

Last edited: 25 October 2016 16:40:13

Obelixx

Looks like a dahlia to me - herbaceous perennial which is not reliably hardy except in mild areas.   Once the first frosts have blackened it, you need to dig up the whole root which will be tuberous so be careful and use a fork to lift the whole clump.  Cut off the stems at about 2" high and then turn the plant upside down and let it drain for a day or so on some old newspaper in a frost free place.

Then you need to turn it right way up again and store somewhere frost free, wrapped in newspaper or in damp sand until spring.  Then you spread the tubers in a shallow tray of potting compost, give it a drink and, again, keep it frost free but somewhere light.  As the new shoots get to about 3" high you can take some off to make cuttings.  Once the frosts are over in mid May or so you can plant it out in teh ground or in a big pot of your prefer.  Protect the young growth from slugs and sanils who think of it as caviar.

Alternatively, if you are in a mild area, remove the frost blackened stems and cover it with a thick pile of good garden or bought compost to protect the crown from frosts and wait for it to make new shoots late next spring.

Alan Braunton

I agree, does it look like the Bishop's Variety.  Got them in my garden and so easy to raise from seed

Cambridgerose12

Probably Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff' (there are a lot of Bishops). As has been suggested you can choose to dig it up or leave it and take a gamble. The main problem I've had with leaving them in the ground is actually not the cold but the fact that slugs and snails get the young shoots. Certainly however brilliant your soil and mild your conditions, they seem to dwindle slowly if you leave them in the ground year upon year. But sometimes they don't come back from a stored tuber either (sigh). 

fidgetbones

Bishop of Llandaff is a bright red. Bishop of Oxford is orange with dark leaves, but that is probably a bishops children seedling.