Could this be the biggest dahlia in the world?

Over the years, I’ve seen dozens of dahlias, big and small, in all sorts of gardens here and abroad.

But I was surprised to see this gigantic dahlia growing in gardens in Japan recently.

The one in the photos here was growing at a house on a hillside in Kyoto, next to one of the Zen temples on the Philospher’s Walk.

I caught the homeowner outside doing some clean up and she laughed when I asked if I could take a photo of her with her giant dahlia.

You can see here it is almost as tall as the house.

She had a sign up calling it a Koutei dahlia. She probably put the sign up because she was continually being asked what kind of flower it was. 

Anyway, it turns out this is Dahlia imperialis, also known as the bell tree dahlia, and it is native to Mexico where it is semi-hardy, meaning it often survives perfectly over winter without the tuber that it grows from having to be lifted and stored during cold spells.

The pink flowers are big but also have a delicate look to them.

I was surprised to see this dahlia in quite a few Japanese home gardens, which is amazing considering how big it is and how generally tiny Japanese homes and yards are, but perhaps that is the appeal. It does grow in a compact way, straight up and only a little to either side.

Have no idea if you can buy these tubers here in Canada or how this dahlia would grow here. As I say, I’ve never seen one here.

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