Dahlia Karma Bon Bini: no, it’s not the chanted chorus of a nonsensical, Europop one-hit wonder, it’s our Flower Of The Week!
The Karma Bon Bini is a type of cactus dahlia, which are generally considered to have the most exceptional blooms of all the dahlias - a pretty big shout when you consider how great most dahlias are across the board (there are fourteen types in total, covering 20,000 varieties, in case you’re wondering).
The KBB does have a pretty strong claim when it comes to the number one spot however: double-blooms of spectacular orange-red, velvety petals that glow outwards from a golden heart-shaped centre. They retain little water thanks to their shape and as a result remain bursting proudly upright even when subjected to rainy weather.
Dahlias in general have a rich history to match their enduring beauty: originally native to South and Central America (it remains the national flower of Mexico), they were cultivated by the Aztecs originally as tubers for food crops and for medicinal purposes. They are named after the Swedish botanist A. Dahl, and have no alternative common name thanks to the simplicity of its scientific one. Whilst Karma Bon Bini is undoubtedly beautiful, it is testament to the wonders of horticulture that it stands alongside 19,999 other varieties - and all descended from one single original species.
