An Overview of Dahlia Flowers
Dahlias continue to be a favorite among gardeners and floral enthusiasts for their stunning beauty and impressive variety, enhancing any garden or floral arrangement with their vivid colors and striking forms. Whether planted for competition or for personal enjoyment, dahlias bring life and color to the gardening world.- Origin and Botany: Originating from Mexico, dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family, which includes daisies and sunflowers. They were introduced to Europe in the 19th century, where they quickly gained popularity.
- Variety: Dahlias are highly versatile with over 42 species and thousands of cultivars. This variety allows for a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes, from small bedding dahlias to show-stopping dinner plate varieties that can grow up to a foot in diameter.
- Growth and Care: Dahlias thrive in well-drained, fertile soil with ample sunlight. They start blooming from midsummer and continue until the first frost, offering an extended display of beauty. While they are perennial in warmer climates (USDA zones 8-11), in colder regions, their tubers need to be lifted and stored during winter to protect them from freezing.
- Use in Gardens and Landscapes: Dahlias are perfect for borders, containers, and as cut flowers due to their dramatic blooms and relatively long vase life. Their ability to attract pollinators like bees and butterflies also makes them a beneficial addition to any garden.
- Symbolism: Dahlias are associated with dignity and elegance but also stand for diversity and change, making them a meaningful gift for various occasions.
Different Types of Dahlias
Dahlias are primarily classified by their flower shape and size, ranging from delicate lacy petals to bold, dinner plate-sized blooms. Understanding these classifications will help you select the best types for your needs. Below are some of the most popular types of dahlias:Single-Flowered Dahlias
These joyful, daisy-like blooms have central discs that act as magnets, drawing pollinators from summer to fall. Single dahlias are surrounded by a single row of flat or slightly curved florets, arranged uniformly, with no gaps in the arrangement. Most flowers are over 2 inches in diameter, with up to 3 rows of bright orange or yellow pollen that attracts them to bees, butterflies and other pollinators. They're excellent for small sized gardens and containers.
Waterlily Dahlias
These are fully double blooms with a striking resemblance to waterlily flowers. The ray florets are somewhat sparse in the rows, either flat or slightly curved along their length which makes the flower appear shallower than other dahlias. Waterlily dahlias have no visible central disc. They're great as cut flowers -“ a stunning sight in vases or afloat in a shallow bowl of water.
Collarette Dahlias
Fall in love with these distinctive dahlias. Collarettes are marked by a collar-like circle of short florets close to the center. There's an outer ring with a single row of larger, flat or curved, often overlapping florets. The disc at the center of each soft, round bloom attracts butterflies, bees and other pollinators to your garden. A wonderful addition to butterfly and cutting gardens!
Anemone Dahlias (Powder Puff Dahlias)
The center of these dahlias is composed of a dense group of elongated tubular florets. There can be one or more rows of flat florets encircling the center in a wreath like arrangement. Anemone dahlias are a great addition to any sunny, mixed border-”and pollinators can't get enough of them. Also known as Powder-Puff dahlias, they are surefire head-turners in containers and vases, and excellent for floral arrangements.
Ball Dahlias
Ball dahlias are characterized by their round, ball-like flower form. The small, fully double flowers feature a seemingly infinite number of incurved ray florets in a flawless spiral arrangement around the center. Ball dahlias look stunning in vases and are priceless in floral arrangements.
Pompon Dahlias
Pompons, much like ball dahlias, are full double flowers and almost perfectly round. The petals are curved inwards and are packed tightly in rows. The flowers are smaller than ball dahlias but are equally as attractive in vases and cut flower arrangements. They're extremely popular in bouquets, particularly in fashionable bridal bouquets!
Cactus Dahlias
The unusual, fully double flowers of cactus dahlias have pointed tubular petals that give them a spectacular starburst look! The flowers come in breathtaking color combinations. They look stunning growing in small groups or as a specimen. Owing to their unique flower form, cactus dahlias have the ability to withstand inclement weather, including strong winds and heavy downpours.
Decorative Dahlias
This group consists of perhaps the most well-known of all dahlias-”Dinnerplate Dahlias! The big, showy fully double flower can be up to 12 inches across in length, and feature broad, flat-tipped petals arranged in either formal (petals appearing evenly) or informal (petals appearing irregularly) arrangements. Formal decorative dahlias are ideal for vases while informal dahlias look ravishing in borders and containers.
Fimbriata Dahlias
Fimbriata dahlias are truly stars of the garden. Though there are a range of shapes and sizes within the category, the brilliant colours and fringed forms of some flower heads can be breathtaking, reminiscent of nighttime fireworks or distant supernovae. Their attractive, medium green foliage beautifully sets off the vividness of their blooms, which can be striped or have multiple hues. The fringe effect of the blooms is caused by uniformly split or notched ray petals, although the petals may be flat, twisted or curled lengthwise. The distinctive appearance of these dahlias make them excellent in borders and a favourite cut flower among florists.