Dahlia (2024)

On this page

  • Plant description
  • Plant uses
  • Did you know?
  • Where in the world?
  • Find it in our gardens
  • More about this plant

The national flower of Mexico, the dahlia, has a proud history reaching back to the days of the Aztec empire.

Originally grown by the Aztecs as a food crop for their starchy root tubers, the dahlia was later transported back to Europe by Spanish colonists in the 18th century.

Today, dahlias are an incredibly popular ornamental plant. While there are only 42 species, there are over 57,000 different cultivated varieties registered with the Royal Horticultural Society.

The dahlia’s name in Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Aztec people, is acocoxochitl, meaning ‘water pipe flower’, as they used hollow Dahlia imperialis stems to transport water.

Plant description

Dahlias are perennial plants with a range of features across 42 species. Some have green herby stems, others have woody stems. The flowers are incredibly diverse, with colours including white, yellow, orange, red and purple of varying shades. Dahlia flower structure also varies considerably, including simple star arrangements, complex spherical balls and flowers resembling waterlily blooms. Dahlias grow from underground tubers, which can be split to create new dahlia plants.

Read the scientific profile on dahlia.

Plant uses

Cultural

The dahlia is an incredibly popular ornamental flower, with over 57,000 different varieties.

Food and drink

Dahlia tubers were farmed by the Aztecs as a food crop. Today, they are still used in Oazacan dishes in southern Mexico.

Dacopa is a drink flavouring made from roasted dahlia tubers that is used across Central America.

Health

Before insulin was isolated and used as treatment in 1922, people with diabetes were treated using a substance extracted from dahlia tubers called inulin.

Materials and fuels

The hollow stems of dahlias were used by the Aztec people as water pipes.

Did you know?

  • The Dahlia was named after naturalist Anders Dahl by Antonio Jose Cavanilles, Director of the Royal Gardens of Madrid, in 1791.

  • Similar to other imports from the Americas, dahlias proved unpopular as a food stuff when brought to Europe in the 18th century. Instead, theystarted to be grown as ornamentals.

  • The numerous varieties of dahlia are grouped into 14 types based on flower shape, which includes ‘single-flowered’, ‘pompon’, ‘cactus’ and ‘double orchid’ dahlias.

Where in the world?

Dahlia (5)

Native: Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Nicaragua, Panamá

Introduced: Assam, Baleares, Baltic States, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Cook Is., Cuba, East Himalaya, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Krym, Leeward Is., Madeira, Myanmar, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Queensland, Romania, Spain, Tadzhikistan, Transcaucasus, Tubuai Is., Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yugoslavia

Habitat:

Found in mountain ranges and uplands, between 1,500 and 3,700 meters, in pine-oak woodlands.

Dahlia (6)

Dahlia

Native

Introduced

Extinct

Find it in our gardens

Kew Gardens

A botanic garden in southwest London with the world’s most diverse living plant collection.

Location

Agius Evolution Garden

View map of Kew Gardens

Best time to see

Flowers: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

More about this plant

Dahlia (2024)

FAQs

What are the dahlia twynings after 8? ›

Dahlia ex 'Twynings After Eight'
Hardiness:Borderline hardy
Good For:Cut flower
Flower Colour:Pink
Foliage Colour:Black
Germination:Sow in spring, thinly and shallowly. Keep warm (60-70oF) till germinates, then cooler
7 more rows

How big does dahlia My Love get? ›

Size: It generally reaches about 48 inches in height (120 cm) and spreads around 18-24 inches (30-60 cm), depending on growing conditions. Flowers: The flowers of 'My Love' are notable for their pristine white color. They are medium to large in size, usually measuring around 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter.

What is a few sentence about dahlias? ›

Dahlias are tuberous perennials, and most have simple leaves that are segmented and toothed or cut. The compound flowers may be white, yellow, red, or purple in colour. Wild species of dahlias have both disk and ray flowers in the flowering heads, but many varieties of ornamentals such as the common garden dahlia (D.

What not to plant with dahlias? ›

Cattails, flag iris, marsh marigolds, and rush reed plants thrive in soils that stay soggy all year long and make poor companions for dahlias. Plants that prefer drier soils or desert climates also are not a great match with dahlia.

What is the rarest dahlia color? ›

Of the 20,000 varieties of dahlia flowers, only 10 to 20 kinds are black in color.

Can dahlias stay in the ground over winter in Zone 8? ›

Dahlias are warm climate plants and they do not tolerate freezing temperatures. If you live in hardiness zones 8-10, where winter temperatures rarely fall below 20° F, the soil provides enough insulation to protect the tubers and it's safe to leave them right in the ground.

How big does dahlia Ambition get? ›

Plant Size
Mature Height100 cm
Mature Spread50 cm
Plant Spacing45 cm
Annual Growth100 cm

How tall does dahlia mystic illusion get? ›

Mature plants will reach up to 3' tall with a 1.5' spread. Offers continuous blooms from summer through to frost. The flowers are attractive to butterflies and other insect pollinators.

How tall does Ken's choice dahlia get? ›

Ken's Choice
Bloom SizeBall Over 3.5"
Height4 ft
ADS Classification# 6007
Size/Form/Color ClassBA DR
Tuber #534
1 more row

Are dahlias poisonous to dogs? ›

Dahlia: Another beautiful flower that ranks among the plants toxic to dogs and cats are dahlias. Although not as high in toxicity as some of the other plants mentioned, this flower will cause your pet to experience mild gastrointestinal signs and mild dermatitis.

What does a dahlia symbolize? ›

Dahlia Symbolism

Dahlias symbolize elegance, creativity, positivity, and growth. It also represents inner strength, likely due to the plant's ability to tolerate harsh conditions. Other general meanings associated with the dahlia is gracefulness, standing out in a crowd, and embracing positive changes.

Why are dahlias so special? ›

Why dahlias? Well, like roses, there's the sheer variety of kinds you can grow — but they're also prized because they show up late in the season, when most flowers are already spent, and then they bloom pretty much constantly until your first frost. That's a solid 2 months (if not more) of big flowers.

Do coffee grounds help dahlias? ›

Yes! Dahlias like coffee grounds and the coffee grounds make for a wonderful fertilizer. Since coffee grounds usually contain about 2% nitrogen, a third percent of phosphoric acid, and roughly 1% of potassium, the coffee grounds act as an excellent fertilizer for your dahlia garden.

Do dahlias grow better in pots or the ground? ›

The pot roots tend to keep better and make better cuttings (and plants) the following season. These growers use containers and bury the tops at least an inch below soil level. These reasons for using containers tend to be for experienced growers rather than newer ones.

What kills dahlia tubers? ›

Mold, rot, and shriveling are the things to look out for which can destroy Dahlias. Check your tubers each month over the winter.

What is the latest you can plant dahlia tubers? ›

The best time to plant dahlia tubers is in the spring, after the danger of the last frost has passed. In many regions, the perfect time to plant dahlia bulbs falls between mid-April and early June.

When should I lift dahlia bulbs? ›

When to Lift Dahlias. It's safe to dig up your dahlia tubers once the plants begin to turn brown and die back. This is usually about two weeks after a killing frost. It's okay to wait until after the first hard frost, but don't leave the tubers in the ground for a long period of below-freezing weather.

Are dahlias annuals in Zone 8? ›

They are hardy, or perennial, in tropical and warm climates, springing up from the ground each spring. Generally, dahlias are perennial in Zones 8 and above.

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