Botanical designation:Dahlia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BKDAFRW’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR/APPLICANT and ASSIGNEE

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee of the instant application, Beekenkamp Plants B.V. of Maasdijk, The Netherlands on Jan. 31, 2022, application number 2022/0285. Foreign priority is not claimed to this European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application.

The Inventor and Applicant/Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor and/or Applicant/Assignee. Inventor and Applicant/Assignee claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofDahliaplant, botanically known asDahlia hybridaand hereinafter referred to by the name ‘BKDAFRW’.

The newDahliaplant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Maasdijk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely branching containerDahliaplants with large inflorescences and attractive ray floret coloration.

The newDahliaplant originated from an open-pollination in September, 2015 in Maasdijk, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection ofDahlia hybridaidentified as code number 15-0124-98, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection ofDahlia hybridaas the male, or pollen, parent. The newDahliaplant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Maasdijk, The Netherlands in November, 2016.

Asexual reproduction of the newDahliaplant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Maasdijk, The Netherlands since February, 2017 has shown that the unique features of this newDahliaplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the newDahliahave not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘BKDAFRW’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘BKDAFRW’ as a new and distinctDahliaplant:1. Broadly upright plant habit.2. Vigorous growth habit.3. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.4. Dark green-colored leaves.5. Freely and continuously flowering habit.6. Large, decorative type inflorescences with red and white bi-colored ray florets.7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the newDahliadiffer primarily from plants of the female parent selection in inflorescence form as plants of the newDahliahave double type inflorescences whereas plants of the female parent selection have semi-double type inflorescences. In addition, ray florets of plants of the newDahliaare red and white bi-colored whereas ray florets of plants of the female parent selection are pink and white bi-colored.

Plants of the newDahliacan be compared to plants ofDahlia hybrida‘BKDAMAGRB’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,691. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the newDahliadiffer primarily from plants of ‘BKDAMAGRB’ in inflorescence size as plants of the newDahliahave smaller inflorescences than plants of ‘BKDAMAGRB’. In addition, ray florets of plants of the newDahliaare red and white bi-colored whereas ray florets of plants of ‘BKDAMAGRB’ are red purple and white bi-colored.

