My Favorite Dahlias for Cut Flower Use
“What are your favorite Dahlias for cut flower use?”
I was asked this question a few weeks ago and I decided it would make an excellent blog post topic!
I’ve grown hundreds of different Dahlia. Some are keepers. Some are not. Every year, I add a few new Dahlias to the mix… and cull a few that no longer “make the cut” (pun intended).
“Cut Flower Dahlias” vs “Bedding Plant Dahlias”
Let me be clear. I am growing Dahlias for cut flower use, not landscape use. I only care how the bloom looks in the vase. I don’t care how leggy or unattractive the plant looks.
My #1 goal is to harvest each and every bloom at just the right stage and get it into the hands of Dahlias lovers in my community.
Some people prefer to grow Dahlias as a bedding/decorative/landscape plant. They want a plant that looks good in the garden AND produces nice blooms. These are usually Dahlia plants they purchase at a plant nursery, which are quite different than the Dahlias I plant on my farm (there are THOUSANDS of different varieties of dahlias, bred for different uses).
A pretty landscape plant is not my goal, so please note the plants I’m recommending will produce lovely blooms, but the plants may look unsightly. In fact… cutting gardens in general can look a bit unsightly!
Here's what I’m looking for in a good Dahlia for cut flower use:
Sturdy Stems. No bobble heads or bendy stems, please!
Long Stems. I harvest our dahlias into 5 gallon buckets, so I need the stems to be 18-24”. In order to get long stems like this, most of the dahlia varieties I grow reach 4-6 feet tall. Most bedding/landscape Dahlias are bred to be much shorter and are not suitable for cut flower use.
Long(er) Vase Life. As a general rule, the tighter the petals, the longer the vase life. The “Ball” type dahlias have a longer vase life than most other types. You’ll notice that nearly all the Dahlias I recommend in this blog post are Ball type Dahlias… and it’s because they have the best vase life.
Sturdy Petals. Some Dahlias are stunning, but their petals bruise easily and they don’t hold up well.
Versatile Color. For floral design, I’m usually looking for more muted, subtle colors. Some dahlias can be gaudy, garish and over-the-top.
A few other notes:
Because of their short vase life (3-5 days), Dahlias are considered an “Event Flower”, not a bouquet flower. This means, they are great for events like weddings, baby showers, parties, etc, where they only need to look good for the day of the event. Don’t expect them to last a week in a vase, like many other types of flowers. You CAN use them in bouquets, but know they will expire faster than the other flowers.
Dahlia colors can vary wildly depending on soil type, nutrient availability and weather conditions.
Some Dahlias grow better in certain climates and may need time to acclimate to a new environment. For example, when I order Dahlia tubers from producers on the West Coast, I usually have to grow them for 2-3 seasons before I can get an accurate assessment of them. Don’t give up on them after 1 season!
When harvesting your Dahlia blooms, be sure to cut DEEP into the plant, about 18-24” down from the bloom, making the cut above a set of leaves. This signals the plant to send up 2 new stems from the set of leaves you left behind.
Ok, here are just a few of my favorite Dahlias for cut flower use out of the 98 varieties I’m trialing this year!
Caitlin’s Joy
This Dahlia is a trifecta - gorgeous long-lasting blooms, productive upright growth habit and an amazing tuber producer. The warm shimmering tones are perfect for late summer/fall arrangments.
Chimacum Troy
If you’re looking for a classic wine colored dahlia, look no further. I can’t get enough of this one!
She’s a good bloom producer and tuber producer. “Ivanetti” is a very similar dahlia. Their coloring and size is almost identical, but I find “Chimacum Troy” is more prolific with her blooms.
Clearview Peachy
One of the most impressive Dahlias I’ve ever grown. The stems are exceptionally sturdy and long, and the blooms are tough and hold up to lots of handling. Clearview Peachy is the longest lasting Dahlia bloom I’ve ever encountered. I once had blooms that lasted for 14 days (3-5 is average for Dahlias!).
The peachy tones are perfect for late summer/fall.
Coralie
Talk about a winner of a Dahlia! Coralie is early to bloom and super productive over the growing season. The bloom color is endlessly versatile. The petals are surprisingly sturdy and she is an excellent cut flower.
Cornel Bronze
Ok, if you had to grow just ONE dahlia for cut flower use, I’d hands down recommend “Cornel Bronze”. The plants are sturdy and vigorous, and the blooms are bulletproof. The bronze-orange color is fantastic in fall arrangements.
She’s also a good tuber producer!
Coseytown Bounty
This Dahlia is aptly named! She’s highly productive and you’ll harvest a massive bounty of blooms of these plants. The warm tones are perfect for late summer/fall arrangements.
Crichton Honey
This one is swoon worthy! The first 3 seasons I grew her, the plants were quite short (2-3 ft) and the stems had a tendency to flop over. I almost gave up on her, but I’m glad I didn’t. Now the plants are vigorous and 3-4 tall, and holding up nicely with support.
The blooms are stunning shades of apricot, orange and yellow, and most welcome in fall arrangements.
Diva
Diva deserves to be in every Dahlia patch. She tall, strong and sturdy with classically beautiful wine colored blooms. They pair beautifully with “Chimacum Troy” and “Bracken Rose”.
While the blooms are larger, the petals are still quite durable.
Ferncliff Copper
Have you ever seen a dreamier color?!? “Ferncliff Copper” makes my jaw drop every time. Be sure to harvest her a bit on the early side, as she’ll keep opening up in the vase.
Blooms are large and robust, as are her tubers.
Isabel
Isabel grows about 3ft tall, which means she offers the best of both worlds: nice long stems for cutting, but not so tall and lanky that she requires lots of support.
Her color is a stunning cool pink with violet undertones. The petals have an iridescent quality and seem to glow from within
Jowey Winnie
Another “must have” for the cutting garden. “Jowey Winnie” blooms are a larger ball type dahlia and the bright coral color goes well with multiple color schemes. I always reach for these blooms first when I’m making arrangements.
The plants are on the smaller side (2-3 feet) but will produce nice long stems if you cut deep into the plant when harvesting.
Lark’s Ebbe
Plants are on the shorter side (about 3ft tall), but make up for lack of size with amazing productivity. The warm pink/coral/apricot blooms are exactly what colors I want to see in September and October. She’s a winner!
Mini Cafe au Lait
This Dahlia is a variety that was sold to us years ago as “Cafe au Lait”, but it was mislabeled and we have no idea what it’s actually called.
The blooms are similar coloring to “Cafe au Lait”, but have a different petal shape and the blooms are much, much smaller than the dinnerplate sizes “Cafe au Lait”, which makes them easier to use in bouquets and arrangements. They come in shades of pink and cream. I’ve tried to separate the pink plants from the cream plants over the years… only to notice they will change color halfway through the season! I give up ;) They are all beautiful.
The plants/stems are incredibly strong and sturdy, and they are an excellent tuber producer. The only downside is the petals can bruise easily, which almost made me cull them from this list… but if you can handle with care, they make a great addition to the cutting garden.
They pair perfectly with “Cafe au Lait” and “Bracken Rose”.
Peaches ‘n Cream
“Peaches n’ Cream” is one of the earliest blooming and most prolific bloomers on our farm. The plants seems to tolerate heat and humidity better than other dahlias.
Her blooms are truly magnificent and it’s 100% worth trying to get your hands on some. Stems are thin, yet sturdy and the bloom size is perfect in arrangements.
Snoho Doris
“Snoho Doris” is such a fun, playful Dahlia. I love using her blooms in mixed bouquets. They are a little bit funky, but in a subtle way. ;) Each bloom is different and colors change over the growing season.
Snoho Sonia
Snoho Sonia is pure perfection. Long sturdy stems, super productive and long lasting blooms. She’s a dream come true.
Woodland’s Wildthing
One of the first Dahlias we grew on Three Acre Farm, “Woodlands Wildthing” is like a good friend you’re thrilled to see again each year. She makes me laugh with delight!
Be sure to give her lots of support because she gets wild! Plants can easily reach 6-8 feet tall. Bloom are absolutely gorgeous, on nice long stems. Harvest her blooms when they are in this stage shown above, then watch them open and unfurl. The blooms are at their most stunning stage right before they expire.
Want to know when our Dahlia tubers are available? We offer them in the spring, after we have finishing dividing, inspecting and inventorying all the tubers.
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Want to learn more about Dahlias? Check out these resources:
Three Acre Farm Dahlia Tubers
Beginner’s Guide to Growing Dahlias