Originally from Mexico, dahlias are a tropical flower that summers from August and well into the fall. Butterflies adore them, I adore them, and you likely adore them too. Let’s all grow dahlias so we can have the brightest coloured gardens on the block!
Summer Bulb of the Year
The decorative dahlia has the honour of being called Flowerbulbs.com’s 2021 summer bulb of the year (even though it’s a tuber it’s categorized as a summer-flowering bulb). One of 12 groups of dahlias, the decorative dahlia is a popular variety due to its size and striking colours.
This plant has slender stems with oval leaves, and “ray flowers” that are wide, flat, and have round or pointed tips. They exist in short to tall varieties, ranging in height from 20 to 60 inches.
Since they have such long stems, they make for a wonderful cut flower perfect for tall vases. The bright burst of colour is sure to brighten any bouquet for Random Gifts of Flowers, and the cutting of the flower will encourage even more blooms on the dahlia plant.
The 11 Types of Dahlias
Single-flowered: a single row of flat or cupped florets with a central disc. 12-24 inches tall.
Anemone-flowered: a large outer ring of flat petals with a mass of tubular florets in the center. 24-36 inches tall.
Collarette: a large outer layer of flat petals with an inner wreath of collar-like florets. 30-48 inches tall.
Waterlily: full double blooms in a flattened shape. Up to 48 inches tall. Decorative: the Flowerbulbs.com 2021 summer bulb of the year! Learn more about this stunning bloom below.
Ball: small globe-like variety with double blooms. Flat florets that are blunt or round-tipped. 48 inches tall.
Pompon: another small, globe-like variety with double blooms. Florets are curled and blunt or round-tipped. 32-48 inches tall.
Cactus: double flowers with long, pointed petals. 60 inches tall.
Semi-Cactus: another double flower with long pointed petals, but the petals curl for half or less of their length. 60 inches tall.
Peony-flowered: open-centered flower with 2 or more rows or rounded petals. 40 inches tall.
Mignon: small variety with single layer of rounded florets 1-3 inches long. Well suited for containers. 20 inches tall.
Topmix: another small variety of single-flowers. Quite bushy and well suited for containers. 14 inches tall.