Dahlia
Dahlia pinnata hybrids
Family Asteraceae
From one tuber planted in May, fifty cut stems by fall — no flower repays effort like a dahlia. It hits its stride exactly when the rest of the garden quits, in forms from tight pompons to dinner-plate drama, which is why fall weddings run on them.
Give it your sunniest bed and it gives you a cutting garden, bee traffic, and a tuber clump that multiplies into next year's stock — growers trade the surplus like baseball cards. Keep curious pets from snacking on it. Start with one tuber; nobody stops at one.
Full Sun
Moderate water
Fast from May tubers growth
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing dahlia? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries dahlia — Dahlia pinnata, print Nº 149, “Dahlia.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what dahlia actually needs.
Life cyclePerennial zones 8–10, annual elsewhereDahlia · Common problems
Common dahlia problems
Pests
6 problems on file
- Slugs (spring shoots)
- Earwigs
- Japanese Beetles
- Spider Mites
- Leafhoppers
- Cyclamen & Broad Mites
Diseases
3 problems on file
- Powdery Mildew
- Tuber Rot in storage
- Verticillium Wilt
Dahlia · Growing & propagation
Growing dahlia
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Moderate
Deep soak 2-3x weekly once budded
Soil- Rich, well-drained · pH 6.2 - 6.8
Fertilizer- Low-nitrogen feed monthly from July
N = leaves, no blooms
Pruning- Frost blackens tops → cut, dig tubers, dry, store in vermiculite at 40-50°F
Pinch at 12 in for branching; disbud side buds for dinnerplate size; stake anything over 3 ft AT PLANTING.
Spacing- 18-24 in
How to plant & propagate dahlia
- Propagate
- Offsets, division, or bulbils
Dahlia · Seasonal care & spray guidance
The dahlia growing playbook
When to spray dahlia
Growing season. Slug bait at emergence; mildew late is cosmetic.
Dahlia · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Dahlia · Yearly calendar
The dahlia year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomJuly, then September to October
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Dahlia · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Dahlia pinnata hybrids
Dahlia in the garden system
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Bees
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What dahlia is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesMildly toxic to pets
Use- Cutting gardens
- Use
- Fall weddings
- Use
- Tuber trading
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Dahlia · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a dahlia variety
'Café au Lait' (the wedding one); 'Bishop of Llandaff' (dark leaf, single); ball types (best vase life); 'Thomas Edison'
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Dahlia
Dahlia pinnata hybrids
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Dahlia pinnata hybrids
- Plant family
- Asteraceae
- Growth habit
- Bulb · Tender Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- DAPI3
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
for Dahlia
Research from these sources
Publisher marks identify sources, not sponsorship or endorsement.
Questions
Dahlia questions, answered straight.
Is dahlia safe for kids and pets?
With care. Mildly toxic to pets Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
How do you propagate dahlia?
Offsets, division, or bulbils.
Elsewhere
Where dahlia sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily