I visited the Planting Fields Arboretum in New York in Mid October of 2021 briefly. The Dahlia Garden offers several hundred varieties of show-quality Dahlias. The various colors and shapes of breathtaking dahlias are astonishing. Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. There are now more than 57,000 registered cultivars, which are officially registered through the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Dahlia is known as one of the famous flowers in the world mainly because of its long flowering period, large flower and many flowers. The dahlia was declared the national flower of Mexico in 1963. Several cultivars were grown as a food crop. In Europe and America, prior to the discovery of insulin in 1923, diabetics—as well as consumptives—were often given a substance called Atlantic starch or diabetic sugar, derived from inulin, a naturally occurring form of fruit sugar, extracted from dahlia tubers.
2021 年十月中旬，我快速地參觀了紐約的 Planting Fields 植物園。大麗花花園提供數百種參展質素的大麗花。各種顏色和形狀令人嘆為觀止的大麗花令人驚嘆。大麗花(別名大理花、天竺牡丹、東洋菊、大麗菊、地瓜花)是一種原產於墨西哥和中美洲的濃密、塊莖、多年生草本植物。皇家園藝學會 (RHS) 正式註冊的, 有超過 57,000 個註冊品種。大麗花之所以被稱為世界名花之一，主要是因為它的花期長、花徑大、花朵多。大麗花於 1963 年被宣佈為墨西哥的國花。有幾種栽培品種被種植作為糧食作物。在歐洲和美國，在 1923 年發現胰島素之前，糖尿病患者以及消費者通常會服用一種稱為大西洋澱粉或糖尿病糖的物質，這種物質源自菊粉，菊粉是一種天然存在的水果糖，從大麗花塊莖中提取。
Notes 筆記
- Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America.
- Spaniards reported finding the plants growing in Mexico in 1525. But a physician to Philip II, who was ordered to visit Mexico in 1570 to study the “natural products of that country”. Dahlias were used as a source of food by the indigenous peoples. The Aztecs used them to treat epilepsy, and employed the long hollow stem of the Dahlia imperalis for water pipes.
- The dahlia was declared the national flower of Mexico in 1963. The tubers were grown as a food crop by the Aztecs, but this use largely died out after the Spanish Conquest.
- The most common pollinators are bees and small beetles.
- Dahlias grow naturally in climates that do not experience frost. However, their tuberous nature enables them to survive periods of dormancy, provided the tubers are lifted from the ground and stored in cool yet frost-free conditions during the winter. Planting the tubers quite deep (10 – 15 cm) also provides some protection. When in active growth, modern dahlia hybrids perform most successfully in well-watered yet free-draining soils, in situations receiving plenty of sunlight.
- There are now more than 57,000 registered cultivars, which are officially registered through the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
- Dahlia is known as one of the famous flowers in the world mainly because of its long flowering period, large flower and many flowers. In the north, the flowering period is from May to mid-November. Dahlias are suitable for planting in flower beds, flower paths or in front of the courtyard, and dwarf varieties can be used as potted plants.
- Dahlia is still considered one of the native ingredients in Oaxacan cuisine; several cultivars are still grown especially for their large, sweet potato-like tubers. Dacopa, an intense mocha-tasting extract from the roasted tubers, is used to flavor beverages throughout Central America.
- In Europe and America, prior to the discovery of insulin in 1923, diabetics—as well as consumptives—were often given a substance called Atlantic starch or diabetic sugar, derived from inulin, a naturally occurring form of fruit sugar, extracted from dahlia tubers.
- The Bloemencorso Zundert is the largest flower parade in the world entirely made by volunteers using the dahlia. The parade takes place on the first Sunday of September in Zundert, Netherlands.
- 大麗花是一種原產於墨西哥和中美洲的濃密、塊莖、多年生草本植物。(百度百科: 別名大理花、天竺牡丹、東洋菊、大麗菊、地瓜花。)
- 西班牙人說在 1525 年發現了墨西哥的一種植物。但是菲利普二世的醫生，在1570 年受命訪問墨西哥研究“墨西哥的天然產品”。大麗花是原住民食物的來源。阿茲特克人用它們來治療癲癇症，並將大麗花的長空心莖用作水管。
- 大麗花於 1963 年被宣佈為墨西哥的國花。阿茲特克人將塊莖當糧食作物來種植，但在西班牙征服後，這種用途基本上是消失了。
- 最常見的傳粉媒介是蜜蜂和小甲蟲。
- 大麗花通常生長在沒有霜凍的氣候中。然而它們的塊莖性質使它們能夠在休眠期存活下來，只要將塊莖從地面上挖出，在冬天儲存在涼爽但無霜的地方。 另外將塊莖種植得很深（10 – 15公分）也可以提供一些保護。在活躍生長時，現代大麗花雜交種在澆水充足但排水良好的土壤中，還有在充足陽光下長得最好。
- 皇家園藝學會 (RHS) 正式註冊的, 有超過 57,000 個註冊品種。
- 大麗花之所以被稱為世界名花之一，主要是因為它的花期長、花徑大、花朵多。在北方地區，花期從5月至11月中旬。大麗花適宜花壇、花徑或庭前叢植，矮生品種可作盆栽。
- 大麗花仍然被認為是瓦哈卡美食的本土食材之一。某些品種仍被種植著，特別是它們的大塊莖，像甘藷一樣。Dacopa 是一種來自烤塊莖的濃郁摩卡咖啡提出物，被用於整個中美洲的飲料調味中。
- 在歐洲和美國，在 1923 年發現胰島素之前，糖尿病患者以及消費者通常會服用一種稱為大西洋澱粉或糖尿病糖的物質，這種物質源自菊粉，菊粉是一種天然存在的水果糖，從大麗花塊莖中提取。
- Bloemencorso Zundert 是世界上最大的花卉遊行，完全由志願者使用大麗花製作。遊行於 9 月的第一個星期日在荷蘭津德爾特舉行。
References 參考資料
Plants Posts 植物的帖子