Tree Dahlia

Our mules were skittish even though it was so hot it was hard to be nervous about anything. We were riding up steep terrain in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in southern Mexico. Each of us had our own mule and there was one more which carried all of our gear. The clatter of rocks was constant with each step the mules made, and it was a very long way down to the bottom.  Our colleague and guide Pedro was unusually quiet and tense and we were only half way up the series of switchbacks that rose 700 meters straight up the volcano. As he was telling us it would get easier in another 100 meters or so his mule lost its footing as the trail gave way beneath him. It seemed like the whole thing happened in slow motion as Pedro was thrown from the mule as it disappeared over the edge but it was over in seconds. We all sat there disbelieving our eyes. As he got up dusting himself off, Pedro looked shaken but said he was ok. We divvied up our supplies to free up the pack mule and after a short discussion, decided to continue on. We finally made it to a plateau and stopped by a lovely waterfall. We eagerly dismounted and started to look around. We came upon an amazing clump of Dahlia imperialis which must have been 20 feet tall growing in a protected area. The flowers were an unusual dark pink with a yellow center.  The Tree Dahlia will grow 20 to 30 feet tall! The dozens of flowers are held well overhead and appear to be showering from above. They consist of pink petals with a yellow fuzzy center.

1 year bulb $34.99