Dahlia

Decorative Dahlias

Decorative dahlias are celebrated for their large, lush, and fully double blooms, showcasing a stunning range of colors and sizes. These dahlias feature broad, flat, or slightly curled petals arranged symmetrically, exuding elegance and classic beauty.

Available from small to dinner-plate-sized, they create a magnificent display in gardens and are ideal for showy floral arrangements. Whether in vibrant solid hues or captivating bi-colors, decorative dahlias delight gardeners, offering a spectacular and long-lasting bloom season from midsummer to frost. Discover all Decorative Dahlias

Pompon and Ball Dahlias

These dahlias are delightful for their charming, perfectly round blooms.

Pompon dahlias feature small, tightly rolled petals, forming exquisite miniature globes.

Ball dahlias, slightly larger, boast a similar spherical shape with broader petals.

Both types come in numerous colors, offering a neat, geometric aesthetic to gardens and floral arrangements. Their compact and orderly appearance contrasts with more expansive dahlia types, making them a favorite for gardeners seeking precision and playfulness in their floral displays. Discover all Pompon and Ball Dahlias

Anemone-Flowered and Collarette Dahlias

These dahlias are unique for their distinct floral structures.

Anemone dahlias display a central cluster of tubular petals surrounded by a ring of flatter petals, creating a striking, cushion-like effect.

Collarette dahlias have a daisy-like appearance with a ring of larger petals encircling an inner collar of smaller petals and a central disc.

These varieties offer an array of vibrant colors and add a touch of whimsy and textural contrast to gardens and arrangements, standing out for their playful and intricate forms. Discover all Anemone and Collarette Dahlias

Mignon and Single Dahlias

Single Dahlias feature blooms with a single row of flat or slightly cupped ray florets arranged in a flat plane, uniformly overlapping, preferably in the same direction with no gaps. The disc flowers may have up to three rows of bright yellow or orange pollen, and the blooms are over two inches in diameter (5 cm). Pollinators love these single-flowered dahlias! If you want to provide something special for bees, butterflies, or other pollinating insects still active in late summer or fall, choose a single dahlia!

Mignon Dahlias possess the same formation as single dahlias, except they have round ray floret tips, their disc flowers have no more than two rows of pollen, and their blooms are under two inches in diameter.

Perfect for small gardens or container display, these dahlias include the highly prized dark-leaved dahlias with their masses of stunning flower colors, which contrast strikingly with their deep mahogany-to-black foliage. Effect in the garden guaranteed!

Peony-Flowered and Orchid Dahlias

These dahlias are enchanting additions to the Dahlia family, each with a distinct floral charm.

Peony-Flowered Dahlias are known for their large, open blooms with two or more rows of petals surrounding a central disc, resembling the classic peony. Their lush, semi-double flowers come in a myriad of colors, adding a soft, romantic touch to gardens and bouquets. For many years the most popular Peony-flowered dahlia was a cultivar called D. ‘Bishop Llandaff’, an heirloom variety that dates back to 1927. It has open deep-red flowers with nearly black mahogany foliage.

Orchid Dahlias, on the other hand, feature a single row of long, pointed petals that curve inward, creating a tubular effect. These dahlias are striking for their simplicity and elegance, offering a more modern and streamlined look in a range of vibrant hues.

Both types are celebrated for their distinctive beauty and contribute a diverse range of forms and textures to any floral setting. Discover all Peony and Orchid Dahlias

Miscellaneous Dahlias

This diverse group includes all varieties that do not fall into one of the above groups.

Laciniated or fimbriated Dahlias present petals split into two or more divisions at the end.

Stellar Dahlias present decorative shaped flowers with creased petals, causing them to be narrow and involute with a slight recurve to the stem.

Waterlily Dahlias have fully double blooms characterized by broad and generally sparse ray florets, which are straight or slightly involute along their length, giving the flower a shallow appearance.

Dinner Plate Dahlias exhibit huge and magnificent blooms. They are unbelievably large – up to 12 in. across (30 cm) – and will bloom continuously from July until the first touch of frost. This is not an official classification. These robust dahlias are registered under several classifications.

Not sure which Dahlia to pick? Compare all Dahlias

Dahlia Growing Tips

Dahlias are not particularly difficult to grow but require specific care to bloom beautifully. Here are some tips to help you get the best from your dahlias:

Planting Time: Dahlias are usually planted in the spring after the risk of frost has passed and the soil has warmed up.

Sunlight: Dahlias love the sun, so choose a location that gets at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day.

Soil: Dahlias prefer well-drained, loamy soil. They don’t tolerate water-logged conditions, so if your soil is heavy clay, consider amending it with compost or peat moss to improve drainage.

Planting Depth: Dahlia tubers should be planted about 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) deep, with the “eye” (the small bump from where the stem will grow) facing upward.

Spacing: Give your dahlias room to grow. Depending on their mature size, they should be spaced about 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) apart.

Watering: Dahlias like consistent moisture. Water them deeply a couple of times a week, more often if your area is experiencing a drought. Avoid overhead watering to reduce the risk of fungal diseases.

Staking: Larger dahlia varieties may need to be staked to support their heavy blooms.

Fertilizing: Dahlias respond well to low-nitrogen fertilizers, such as a 5-10-10 or 10-20-20. Too much nitrogen can lead to lush, leafy growth and fewer flowers.

Deadheading: Regularly removing the spent flowers (deadheading) will keep your dahlias producing more blooms.

Overwintering: In colder climates (zones 7 and below), you’ll need to dig up and store the tubers indoors over the winter.

Pests and Diseases: Review dahlia common problems and how to treat them.