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All bulbs for spring 2024 are SOLD OUT.
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WHY DAHLIAS? They get better and better in late summer and autumn when many plants are fading. They come in lush colors and astonishing forms. And the more you cut them for bouquets, the more they bloom.
DAHLIA HISTORY — Dahlias were brought into gardens by the Aztecs, and first bloomed in Europe in 1789. For more, click here.
TIPS — Dahlias prefer full sun and summers that aren’t too hot. No, you don’t HAVE to dig and store them. To learn more, click here.
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We love the diversity of dahlias, not just in color, but in size and form as well. From tiny to huge, singles to pompons to cactus- and lily-flowered, dahlias will bring excitement and sparkle to your late-summer and fall garden! You’ll receive 5 glorious varieties, all different, labeled, and enchanting.
For all different additional dahlias, order more samplers. For zones 3a-7b(10bWC) only. Dahlia care.
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For fresh, fabulous, long-lasting bouquets at a price you can’t beat, pick your own! We’ll send 3 of our favorite, not-too-big, bouquet-sized dahlias, all different, labeled, and easy to grow. The more you pick them, the more they’ll bloom!
For all different additional dahlias, order more samplers. For zones 3a-7b(10bWC) only. Dahlia care.
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This deep velvety crimson beauty will bring a stunning contrast to your summer bouquets and gardens as its medium (4-6") flowers and darker green foliage add hints of mystery without overwhelming lighter colors. Mary Keen, one of the First Ladies of Gardening, "would not wish to be without" it and David Joyce calls it "outstanding for the depth of its dark red". We love the way the blossoms almost glow as if lit from within! Formal decorative, 3½ - 4' high, from Holland. Chart and care.
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This big, beautiful dinner-plate dahlia has ruffled petals of soft lavender-pink with a glimmering of gold deep in the center. The great garden writer Henry Mitchell wrote that dinner-plates are like elephants, walruses, and hippos – each “marvelous in itself” – and this is a marvelous pink elephant indeed. Aka ‘A. Hampley’, formal decorative, 6-10”, 4-5’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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Dark-leaved dahlias are hot these days, thanks to this inspiring original. With cut-leaf, burgundy-bronze foliage and glowing scarlet, almost-single flowers sparked by a ring of vivid yellow stamens, ‘Bishop’ has starred at Wave Hill, Heronswood, the Denver Botanic Garden – and here. How can you garden another summer without growing it yourself? 3”, 4-5’, heat-tolerant, from Holland. Chart, care, and learn more.
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It’s not really blue, of course, but this intriguing dahlia is bluer than virtually any other. It’s a distinct, pearly, not-quite-lilac shade that has an almost unearthly glow about it in the soft light of early evening — perfect for enjoying as you relax at the end of a long hard day. Aka ‘Bonny Blue’, re-introduced from the UK National Collection, 3-4”, 4-5’, from Michigan. Chart and care.
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Here’s a sweet little classic for pots or the front of a sunny border. Just 12-24 inches tall, ‘Good Hope’ is loaded all summer with 2-3 inch, rosy pink flowers, each a single row of petals around a cheerful yellow button-eye. Nothing could be simpler, or prettier – and the bees will thank you for it, too! From Michigan. Chart and care.
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It’s not just for brides! Although its exquisite coloring – “creamy pink, blush, peach, ivory, champagne, and dusty rose,” in the words of brides.com – has made it enormously popular for weddings, this sumptuous flower will look just as good in your garden or a Mason jar on the kitchen counter. You’ll get lots of big, ruffled blooms with long, strong stems on a sturdy plant that blooms and blooms. 6-10”, 4’, from Holland. Chart, care, and learn more.
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As elegant and wildflowery as the great ‘Bishop of Llandaff’, this sublimely simple collarette dahlia is named for Debussy’s romantic ode to moonlight. With a single row of soft yellow outer petals, a frilly ruff of white inner petals, and an eye like a harvest moon, it’s strong-growing in the garden and blissful in bouquets. Fern-like green leaves, 3”, 3-4’, heat-tolerant, from Michigan. Chart and care.
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This dark-leaved, not-so-tall dahlia was a favorite of the great Christopher Lloyd who wrote that it “deserves every scrap of the praise lavished on it. Above bronze foliage, it carries a prodigal, non-stop succession” of apricot-orange flowers that “show up brightly from afar.” Lloyd paired it with lavender Verbena bonariensis and ornamental grasses for a combination that would look stunning in your garden, too. Formal decorative, 3-4”, 3-4’, from Holland. Chart, care, and learn more.
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Still a popular favorite in Europe (and with us), “Dwee doo” is easy to grow and loaded with 4-6 inch flowers of royal purple tipped with white – sometimes more so, sometimes less – for an effect that’s surprisingly elegant. Albert, the beloved “people’s king” of Belgium, died in 1934, hence its decidedly antique name: “Mourning for King Albert.” Re-introduced by us in 2002 from the UK National Collection. 4-6”, 4-5’, heat-tolerant, from Oregon. Chart, care, and learn more.
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“Wow!” is the likely reaction to these huge rosy purple blossoms. One early critic found it “monstrous”, but we’re with Ann Ripley who described its “slightly twisted petals” as giving it “a distinctly exotic air”. The stunning flowers are typically 12-14” across (some say they can reach 17”! ) and have been winning awards in exhibitions - and delighting children - for 60 years. Large decorative, 4-5', from Holland. Chart and care.
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The dark foliage of this Award of Garden Merit-winning dahlia makes its brilliant, lilac-rose, semi-double blooms look even more beautiful. Dark eyes ringed by golden stamens add to its allure, and they definitely make the bees happy! Peony-flowered/semi-double, 4-5” across, 2½-3’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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With its creamy, raspberry-brushed petals, its feathery ruff, and a golden eye, this mid-century collarette dahlia is striking enough to look right at home on the runway. It’s a prolific bloomer, too, and always draws an adoring entourage in the garden – of people and bees. 2-3½”, 3-4’, from Holland. Chart, care, and learn more.
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The bee-friendly, button-eyed flowers of this sweet little dwarf are a gentle shade of orange with undertones of copper and rose. It’s just the right size for containers and small gardens, or try it at the front of your vegetables. Blooming non-stop, it looks especially good combined with purple flowers or bronze foliage. Single, 2-3”, 1-2’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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There’s a Zen-like simplicity to waterlily dahlias. With fewer petals than most, they have a peaceful, uncluttered look, proving once again that less can be more. Winner of the Stredwick Medal, one of the dahlia world’s highest awards, ‘Glorie’ is a buttery yellow of classic form, early blooming, and loaded with flowers. Strong stems make it great for bouquets. 4-5”, 4-5’, from Holland . Chart and care.
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Superb as a cutflower, and still popular in the UK, this glowing little dahlia is a soft yellow touched with butterscotch and deepening to ruddy gold in the center. Its centennial year is on the horizon, and with your help it will make it there! Pompon/formal dec, 2-3½”, 2½-4’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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Light up your summer border with long-blooming “Golden Torch” whose strong stems hold vibrant sunshine-yellow spheres aloft. The petals are so perfectly ordered that one viewer was reminded of honeycomb! Abundant blossoms on long stems will brighten bouquets and bring smiles. Ball/Formal Decorative, 3-4’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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Much of the history of this 62-year-old variety is obscure, but we were so captivated by its radiant fuchsia to reddish-purple spiky blossoms, unusual in a dinner-plate variety, that we couldn’t let it disappear! Great as cut flowers, where just a single 10” bloom makes an emphatic statement, and excellent at the back of a mixed border. Large Decorative, 4-5’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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‘Juanita’s big, jewel-toned flowers are a whirl of narrow, curving petals of deep, vibrant burgundy and ruby. Bred in South Africa and named for a flamenco dancer, it’s been one of the most popular dahlias on six continents for decades. 6”, 4-5’, heat-tolerant, from Michigan. Chart and care.
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This giant dinner-plate is the biggest dahlia we offer – a huge 10 to 12 inches across when well grown – but size is only one of its many impressive qualities. It’s also so easy to grow that it’s often recommended for beginners. It blooms a lot, its stems are strong, and its sunny, light yellow color manages to be bright without being glaring or harsh. Gardeners have been enjoying it for over 50 years now, and it always impresses the neighbors! Formal decorative, 9-12”, 3-5’, heat-tolerant, from Holland. Chart and care.
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No matter how small your garden is, this compact dahlia with its bouquet-sized poofs of soft, primrose yellow will make you glad you planted it. We love its weird name, too. Klankstad means “Sound City” and Kerkrade is the Dutch town that in 1951 launched what has become the world’s greatest band festival. 3-4”, 3-5’, semi-cactus, from Michigan. Chart and care.
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Cool, man, cool! From the year that brought us Old Yeller, “Wake Up Little Susie,” and the coolest Chevy ever comes this enduring New Zealand classic. With its rippling, snow-white petals blushed with rosy lavender, it may remind you of sea anemones on a coral reef – or senior prom? 4-6”, 4-6’, semi-cactus, from Michigan. Chart and care.
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In 1997 when we asked in the ADS Bulletin if anyone grew this relic, we heard from just one person, David Murphy. He eventually sent his entire stock to us with a note: “In recognition of your efforts to preserve old dahlias. Their survival now rests in your hands.” Will you help? Lively and cute, ‘Little Beeswing’ produces an abundance of yellow pompons tipped flame-red. It’s a fine keeper, too, so you’ll soon have extras to pass along, as David did. Aka ‘Little Beeswings’, 1-2”, 3-4’, heat-tolerant, from Michigan & Oregon. Chart, care, and learn more.
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With wiry stems and flowers not much bigger than a pompon dahlia’s, this bright little formal decorative seems custom-made for bouquets, but it’s a joy in the garden, too. Its white petals are brush-stroked at the tips with deep vivid rose, giving it an almost neon-like glow. Formal dec, 2-3”, 3-4’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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This unusual dwarf could almost be called a ground-cover dahlia. Barely 2 feet tall, it spreads out to make a dense, self-supporting plant 3 feet wide or more – which makes it great for pots, too. Abundant gardenia-like flowers glow against deep green foliage. Its name – often misspelled Leutwitchen – seems to honor Germany’s Little Wichen mountain, but if you can tell us more, please do! Waterlily, 3”, 2-3’, from Michigan. Chart and care.
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This angelically soft pink sunburst would be perfect for a frothy Sweet-16 party, a summer wedding, a pastel cottage garden, or (best of all) a simple vase on your desk or kitchen counter from August till frost. Australian-bred, it was introduced to great acclaim shortly after WWII, a peaceful beauty for a new age. 4-6”, 4’, from Michigan. Chart and care.
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Is this the love-child of the great ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ and luminous ‘Clair de Lune’? Could be! Its abundant flowers are small enough to avoid being garish but brilliant enough — like tiny flames — to add a jolt of excitement to any garden or bouquet. 2-3”, 4-5’, re-introduced by us from the British National Collection, from Michigan & Oregon. Chart and care.
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Preserved by a Kentucky farm family since the 1930s, this remarkable dahlia is hardy enough to survive most winters in the ground in mid-zone 6 and then bloom weeks before any other. A tall, lavender rose beauty, it came to us from 80-something Joyce Dowell who inherited it decades ago from her dahlia-loving grandmother, Fannie Williams. You can read their whole wonderful story here. Then plant this rare relic and when it blooms, remember Joyce and Fannie. 5-6”, 5-6’, from Michigan. Chart, care, and learn more.
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Just two feet tall, this happy little harlequin will bring a pop of color to the front of your garden or a favorite container. Its non-stop, cherry-red flowers are tipped with white (sometimes more so, sometimes less) and it’s named for a spirited, jazz-inflected dance style that was wildly popular in France in the 1950s. Formal decorative, 2-3”, 1½-2½’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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Like glorious fireworks, these stunning white blooms will light up your evening garden in late summer just as other perennials are declining. Profuse 2½-4" blooms with strong stems have made "My Love" very popular with cut-flower growers and would be perfect for bridal bouquets or as part of a striking white garden. In the landscape, the 3-4' plants may ramble if left to themselves, creating the charming effect of mounds of white blossoms. And we could all use a little more love in our lives! Semi-cactus, from Holland. Chart and care.
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Too big to be called a pompon, the 3” flowers of this old-fashioned ball dahlia are a deep, dark, velvety red. You’ll get lots and lots of them, too, with long, strong, bouquet-friendly stems. In Portuguese Natal means Christmas, and it’s the name Vasco da Gama gave to a region in South Africa when he first landed there on Christmas Day in 1497. Ball, 2½-3”, 3-4’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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It may not be flashy or ancient, but this sublimely simple waterlily dahlia is one of the most beautiful flowers we’ve ever grown – yes, ever. Bred by the Lombaert brothers of Belgium, it’s a baby-fresh masterpiece of pink, white, and lavender, on a plant that’s not too tall, with wiry stems that practically beg you to cut them for bouquets. 4-6”, 3-4’, heat-tolerant, from Michigan. Chart and care.
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This speckled beauty is a variegated form of ‘Juanita’, one of the 20th century’s most popular dahlias. It’s just as strong growing and floriferous as ‘Juanita’, but its flowers are a lively lavender-pink delicately streaked and stippled with burgundy. Discovered by a backyard dahlia grower in tiny Brighton, Illinois, it went on to become a record-setting award-winner. Cactus, 6”, 4-5’, heat-tolerant, from Michigan. Chart and care.
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We’ve been longing for a large pink dahlia while we wait for Jersey’s Beauty’s return, and award-winning “Otto’s Thrill” is our solution! Developed by Otto Aumuller, who organized the Long Island Dahlia Society during World War II, this much-loved classic boasts stunning 8-10” blossoms of salmon- or rose-pink petals that lighten to soft pink. Older petals recurve, giving a depth and beauty to the form, and sturdy stems make this a great cut flower. Large Decorative, 3-4’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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The blooms of this peachy-pink, semi-cactus dahlia are just the right size for bouquets, and its intriguingly dark stems add to its appeal both as a cut-flower and in the garden. A perfect addition to your fall garden display. Semi-cactus, 3-5”, 4’, from Michigan. Chart and care.
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Tall, dark, and handsome, this ‘Black Prince’ offers up armful after armful of ruffled, semi-cactus blooms of deep, dark burgundy that are just the right size for bouquets. (Try it with ‘Andries Orange’, if you dare.) We grow lots of great dahlias here, but this one seems to be on everybody’s list of favorites. Reintroduced by us in 2004 from the UK National Collection. 4-5”, 5-6’, heat-tolerant, from Michigan. Chart, care, and learn more.
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Anything but somber, this rosy purple dahlia blooms today in the famous Purple Border at Sissinghurst, England’s best-loved garden. Its 4-5 inch blooms have a loose, informal look – much like a waterlily dahlia – and its strong, dark stems make it great for bouquets. Formal decorative, 4-5”, 3½-4½’, from Michigan. Chart and care.
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One of the smallest-flowered pompons we’ve ever seen, and dramatically dark. Its deep boysenberry-colored globes are produced in profusion, and their strong stems make it great for bouquets. Pompon, 1½”, 3-3½’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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Like cheerleaders’ pompons held high to celebrate a score, these blossoms POP! And with bright orange centers softening to lighter oranges as the petals curve back, they’re a striking addition to autumn arrangements. If you love orange, or contrast in the garden, “Safe Shot” is sure to please! Ball/Formal Decorative, 3-3½’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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“Small World” has earned wide praise, including Floret-founder Erin Benzakein who says it is “hands down, the best white dahlia we’ve ever grown.” Some see pure white in its adorable 1” pompons, others a touch of rose or blush of lilac; all agree that it’s an excellent source of cut flowers, producing generously in response to cutting over a long season. May our own world be this harmonious and gentle! Pompon, 3-4’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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Charmingly antique, ‘Pride of Berlin’ has plump, lavender-pink flowers that nod ever so slightly, like a demure Victorian fraulein. When it was introduced in 1884, Germany was a hotbed for exciting new dahlias, and since 1897 it’s been lovingly preserved by the venerable Deutsche Dahlien, Fuchsien, und Gladiolen Gesellschaft. Ball, 2-2½”, 3-4’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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Not for the faint-hearted, “Tartan” brings a host of bold, burgundy and white 6-8” flowers in patterns that range from purple-red edges on white petals to swirly raspberry petals with splashes of cream - or the occasional solid-colored flower. Just one plant is eye-catching in the garden and produces enough variety for a dramatic bouquet! Large Informal Decorative, 4-5’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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This velvety classic is still the truest deep purple of all dahlias, a color that photos can’t quite capture but that modern breeders envy. It was “named for the famous Electrical Wizard with his approval,” according to the L.L. Old’s catalog of 1939. Grow it and we think you’ll agree – it’s electrifying! Formal decorative, 6-8”, 3-4’, heat-tolerant, from Holland. Chart, care, and learn more.
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The deeply fringed petals of this big, spectacular dahlia give it an otherworldly air, which is fitting since its name means “Messenger from the Moon” (the title of an enormously popular Japanese novel). When we look at it, though, we see Fourth of July sparklers and big shaggy dogs. What will you – or your kids or grandkids – see? Free-blooming, laciniated, 5-8”, 3-4’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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More closely related to the ancient Roman god of fire than to the planet of Mr. Spock, this dahlia’s spiky petals glow like hot magma with tips of yellow flame. And at up to 6” wide, the fiery blossoms on purple stems are eye-catching in the border as well as worthy of exhibition. While it may seem illogical to add more heat to your August garden, the dog-days of summer can always use a little more excitement! Semicactus, 3-4’, from Holland. Chart and care.
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This is the world’s oldest surviving garden dahlia. (Do you need to know more?) With fresh green foliage and hundreds of small, ivory globes – each touched in the center with a bit of honey, or sunshine? – it has all the pristine, elemental beauty of a newborn baby. Preserved by a German nursery that has specialized in dahlias for close to a century, it’s a timeless classic. 1-2”, 3-5’, from Holland. Chart, care, and learn more.
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This striking family heirloom with its ruby flowers on dark stems is SO easy to grow and store that it’s been a pass-along plant in Wisconsin since the early 1900s. We got our start from our friend Vytas Virkau who got it from Catherine Becker of Wausaukee who’d been growing it since the 1940s. Then we met Brenda and John Hagman whose family has been passing it down since 1910 or before – or so it seems. Learn more here, or just plant it and join the tradition! Ball, 3”, 4-5’, heat-tolerant, from Michigan. Chart and care.
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Named for an ancient gemstone famed for its medicinal and magic powers (learn more), this knockout blooms more profusely than any dahlia we’ve ever grown, with small, elegant flowers of dark, luminous red set against deep green leaves. Photos can only hint at its excellence – prepare to be wowed! 3”, 4-6’, heat-tolerant, from Michigan.
Chart and care.
We hope to have more available to offer this spring. If you’d like to be notified when it’s back in stock, click to sign up for an email alert.
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This candy-cane striped dahlia is one of the world’s oldest, according to the late Gerry Weland of the ADS who compiled a database of 50,000 dahlias dating back to the early 1800s. Also known as ‘Star of Denmark’, it’s bright and cheery, with pinwheel-like flowers of red and white. One caveat, though: its stems, like those of its wild ancestors, are lax. 3”, 2-3’, heat-tolerant, from Michigan.
Chart and care.
If you’d like to be notified when it’s back in stock, click to sign up for an email alert.
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A warm, pastel amber touched with peach in the center, this WW II-era pompon was raised by Harry Stredwick, winner of the RHS’s Victoria Medal of Honor, whose family introduced their first dahlias way back in the 1890s. Great for bouquets, it blooms early and profusely. Pompon, 2”, 4’, from Oregon.
Last offered in 2024. If you’d like to be notified when it’s back in stock, click to sign up for an email alert.
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Simple yet extraordinary, this charming dahlia became an instant staff favorite when it first bloomed here – and bloomed and bloomed and bloomed. A clear, companionable orange with 3-4 inch, semi-cactus flowers on wiry stems, it’s a flower arranger’s delight. Its full Flemish name, ‘Andries Oranje As’, honors a Jazz Age liqueur from the small Belgian town of As. 3-5’, reintroduced from the UK National Collection and grown for us now in New Hampshire.
Last offered in 2024. If you’d like to be notified when it’s back in stock, click to sign up for an email alert.
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Chic, sophisticated ‘Princess Louise of Sweden’ offers 4-inch flowers of a tantalizing color that’s hard to describe: maybe frosted coral? It’s not orange, not pink, not rose, but if you blended all three together and added a bit of mist, you’d be close. For added elegance, its petal tips sometimes seem dipped in silver. Very cool! 4 inches, 4 feet, from New Hampshire.
Last offered in 2024. If you’d like to be notified when it’s back in stock, click to sign up for an email alert.
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“Is this old enough for you guys?” asked our dahlia-growing friend Tom Rumple at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market. “It doesn’t win much any more, but I still think it’s great” – and we had to agree. (Thanks, Tom!) Touched with a hint of lavender at first, its lightly rippled petals open and arch backwards into a beautifully rounded globe of pure white, like a bright, silvery moon. Formal decorative, 6-7”, 4-5’, from New Hampshire.
Last offered in 2024. If you’d like to be notified when it’s back in stock, click to sign up for an email alert.
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With unusually small pompon blossoms about the size of those giant gumballs you may have loved as a kid, this grape-purple, Australian-bred classic is “perfectly formed” and “still the best” according to Gareth Rowlands in The Gardeners Guide to Growing Dahlias. 3-4’, from Michigan.
If you’d like to be notified when it’s back in stock, click to sign up for an email alert.
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Winsome? No way! This stunner is as vividly colored as the most brilliant tropical fish. Its palm-sized, waterlily-like flowers are a deep, vibrant rose blending into a center of rich yellow, almost orange, as if the sun itself were throbbing deep inside. It redefines “antique beauty” and will leave you breathless! It’s been a customer favorite, ever since we reintroduced it from the UK National Collection, but unfortunately this year’s supply is very limited — so don’t delay! 4-5”, 4-5’, from Michigan.
Last offered in 2024. If you’d like to be notified when it’s back in stock, click to sign up for an email alert.
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The history of this intriguing dahlia is a mystery. One British expert told us it was rediscovered in a chateau garden and dated to 1915. Another said he saw it growing in a rural hamlet near Lyon and it dated to the 1850s. We’ll keep researching its past, but one thing for certain is its garden appeal. Every flower is different. A few open deep red, a few pearly white, but most are an unpredictable mix of both colors – trè intéressant! Ball, 3”, 4-5’, from Michigan.
If you’d like to be notified when it’s back in stock, click to sign up for an email alert.
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WHY GROW DAHLIAS? They keep getting better and better in late summer and autumn when many plants are fading. They offer opulent flowers with lush colors and astonishing forms. And the more you cut them for bouquets, the more they bloom.
HISTORY — Dahlias were brought into gardens by the Aztecs, arrived in Europe in 1789, and by the 1840s garden writers in America were hailing scores of new varieties every year. Exciting new cactus forms were introduced in the 1870s, and in 1927 F. F. Rockwell reported that dahlias ranked in “the leading position of all bulbs grown in America.”
DAHLIA ARCHIVES — For customer tips and raves, the stories behind the bulbs, links and books, history, news, and more, see our Dahlia Newsletter Archives.
DAHLIAS AS CUT FLOWERS — For tips for longer lasting dahlias in bouquets, see our Bulbs as Cut Flowers page.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS — Dahlias prefer full sun and rich soil. Blazing hot summers are hard on them, but see our tips for the Deep South, below. Yes, you’ll need to stake them, but it’s easy. No, you don’t HAVE to dig and store them — it’s not a law in any state! When they freeze dead, just add them to the compost pile. We send complete instructions with all of our bulbs.
PLANTING & CARE — DON’T plant outside too early! Wait till after all danger of frost is past — when you’d plant tomatoes or later. Or you can start them inside 4-6 weeks early and transplant them outside when it warms up, which is what we do here at Old House Gardens.
Dahlias thrive in light, fertile, well-drained soil. If your soil is heavy (clay), add organic material or plant in raised beds. Full sun is best, but eight hours will do. Dahlias do NOT like extreme heat, so avoid hot spots such as near south or west walls.
If you garden in zone 8(10WC) or warmer, check out our special advice at oldhousegardens.com/DahliasForHotNights .
Space your dahlias 18-24 inches apart. Dig a hole a foot deep and wide; enrich the soil and return some to the hole. Pound a sturdy stake into the ground near the center of the hole so that 4-6 feet of it remain above ground level (depending on the ultimate height of the dahlia). In front of this, lay the tuber horizontally with the eye, if visible, pointing up – or set the entire pot-root cluster with the stem facing up – about 6 inches below ground level. Cover with 2-3 inches of soil. If your soil is moist, DON’T WATER tubers until they sprout. In soggy soil, un-sprouted tubers are prone to rot. If your soil is dry or the weather is hot, you will need to water, but don’t overdo it – till sprouts emerge.
As shoots grow, gradually add soil till the hole is filled. For bushier plants, “top” them after they get three sets of leaves by pinching or cutting out the center shoot. If slugs or snails are a big problem for you, consider bait.
Water regularly during the growing season, and fertilize lightly every 3-4 weeks until early fall. Don’t over-feed! AVOID HIGH NITROGEN FERTILIZERS such as lawn fertilizer. Use rose, tomato, or general garden fertilizer instead. Hand-weed; avoid ALL herbicides. Tie stalks to the stake as they lengthen. Double strands of garden twine work well. Dead-head by cutting spent blooms to encourage more vigorous flowering – or simply pick lots of bouquets! Dahlias like cool conditions (they are native to the mountain plateaus of Mexico), so growth and flowering peak as temperatures cool in late summer and early fall.
FOR EVEN MORE INFORMATION on growing dahlias, including how to store tubers over the winter (IF you decide to do that), click here for our spring Planting and Care page.
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