Must-Grow Dahlia Varieties for Your Cut Flower Garden

Discover stunning dahlia varieties! From dinnerplate to ball dahlias, find the perfect blooms for your cut flower garden.

Dahlias are one of my absolute favorite flowers to grow, and each season, I can’t wait to see their stunning blooms take over my garden! With so many varieties to choose from, I’ve rounded up some of my top favorite dahlias that I grow every year. These beautiful flowers stand out for their gorgeous colors, impressive size, and incredible performance in both the garden and bouquets. I hope you find some new favorites here!

In this post, I’ll share details about each variety, including bloom color, type, size, and care tips. Plus, I’ll include growing tips, harvesting best practices, and bouquet care recommendations—so you can enjoy their blooms for as long as possible!

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A vibrant garden filled with peach and pink dahlias in full bloom, surrounded by lush green leaves. A bee is perched on one of the flowers. A large tree and a house are visible in the background. — Stacy Ling cutting dahlia flowers

Understanding the Different Types of Dahlias

Before we dive into my favorite varieties, it’s helpful to understand the different types of dahlias. They’re classified based on bloom shape, size, and petal arrangement. Here are some of the most common types you’ll encounter:

Dinnerplate: These are the giants of the dahlia world, boasting blooms that can be as large as a dinner plate (hence the name!). They make a dramatic statement in the garden and are perfect for cut flower arrangements.
Decorative: Decorative dahlias have fully double flowers with broad, slightly pointed petals. They come in a wide range of colors and sizes.
Ball: As the name suggests, ball dahlias have perfectly spherical blooms with tightly packed petals. They’re charming and add a touch of whimsy to bouquets.
Pompon: Similar to ball dahlias but smaller, pompon dahlias have tightly packed, globular blooms.
Cactus: Cactus dahlias have pointed, spiky petals that resemble cactus spines. They add texture and drama to floral arrangements.
Semi-Cactus: These dahlias have broader petals than cactus dahlias, giving them a less spiky appearance.
Collarette: Collarette dahlias have a central disc surrounded by a ring of smaller petals, called the “collarette.”
Waterlily: Waterlily dahlias have open, flat blooms with broad petals, resembling water lilies.
Peony: Peony dahlias have large, semi-double flowers with ruffled petals, resembling peonies.
Anemone: Anemone dahlias have a central cushion of tubular petals surrounded by larger, flat petals.

A vibrant garden filled with various dahlias and zinnias stretches out in the foreground. In the background, partially obscured by the flowers and trees, stands a charming house with a rustic, cottage-like appearance.

My Favorite Dahlia Varieties

Dinnerplate Dahlias: The Showstoppers in the Garden

Thomas Edison

✨ Color: Deep, rich purple
🌸 Type: Dinnerplate Dahlia
📏 Size: 36-48” tall, 18-24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: Thomas Edison is a bold, dramatic dahlia with huge, velvety purple blooms. It makes a statement in the garden and looks stunning in deep, moody floral arrangements. Pro-Tip: These need sturdy staking! The blooms are heavy.
🌱 Growing Notes: Benefits from afternoon shade in very hot climates.

A vibrant, magenta dahlia flower blooms amid rich green foliage in a well-tended cutting garden. The petals are layered and lush, catching sunlight which enhances its vivid color. The background features more green leaves and blurred shapes of other flowers, suggesting a thriving dahlia haven.

Café au Lait

✨ Color: Soft blush to creamy beige
🌸 Type: Dinnerplate Dahlia
📏 Size: 36-48” tall, 24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: A classic favorite! Café au Lait is beloved for its romantic, creamy pastel blooms that add elegance to any arrangement. It’s a must-have for wedding bouquets and blends beautifully with any color palette. Fun Fact: This was the first dahlia I ever grew! But can be a bit of a diva and blooms a bit later than other varieties I’ve grown.
🌱 Growing Notes: Prolific bloomer, but watch out for slugs!

Close-up of a large white dahlia with soft pink and peach hues at the center. It blooms against a backdrop of green leaves, with a blurred terracotta pot in the background and a small red bud nearby. — Dahlia Cafe Au Lait

Penhill Watermelon

✨ Color: Soft pink with a coral undertone
🌸 Type: Dinnerplate Dahlia
📏 Size: 48-60” tall, 24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: This variety produces massive, ruffled blooms with a watercolor effect, fading between pink and peachy tones. It’s one of my favorite statement flowers in the garden!
🌱 Growing Notes: Needs extra support due to its height and large blooms.

Fleurel

✨ Color: Pure white
🌸 Type: Dinnerplate Dahlia
📏 Size: 36-48” tall, 24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: This elegant white dahlia is perfect for neutral floral arrangements and pairs beautifully with both pastels and vibrant hues.
🌱 Growing Notes: A reliable and long-lasting cut flower. Cut deep into the plant to encourage longer stems.

Labyrinth

✨ Color: Pink with peachy-orange swirls
🌸 Type: Dinnerplate Dahlia
📏 Size: 36-48” tall, 24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: The ruffled, swirling petals of Labyrinth make it look like a work of art!
🌱 Growing Notes: Blooms can vary in color intensity depending on the weather/season.

A vibrant, pink dahlia flower in full bloom surrounded by lush green foliage in a garden. The dahlia's petals are layered and pointed, showcasing a gradient of pink and peach hues. In the background, more plants and a glimpse of houses can be seen.

Shiloh Noelle

✨ Color: Soft lavender blush
🌸 Type: Dinnerplate Dahlia
📏 Size: 48” tall, 24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: Huge, soft-hued blooms that are perfect for romantic floral arrangements. the color range on this dahlia variety is striking.
🌱 Growing Notes: A vigorous grower and prolific bloomer.

A large, fully bloomed dahlia with soft pink and white petals surrounded by lush green foliage. The detailed petals have gentle curves and a slight gradient from light pink to creamy white, creating a striking contrast with the vibrant green leaves.

My Favorite Decorative Dahlias

Kogane Fubuki

✨ Color: Yellow with soft pink tips
🌸 Type: Decorative Dahlia
📏 Size: 36-48” tall, 18-24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: The two-tone coloring on this dahlia is absolutely mesmerizing! It transitions from a golden center to soft pink petal tips, making it a showstopper in any garden bed or bouquet. After growing it one year, I has become a staple in my cut flower garden.
🌱 Growing Notes: Excellent for attracting pollinators.

A vibrant garden with lush green foliage features growing dahlias in various stages of blooming. The dahlias display a gradient of pastel colors, primarily yellow and pink. The background reveals more greenery and garden structures. Dahlia kogane fubuki — Dahlia Kogane Fubuki

Eveline

✨ Color: White with soft lavender-pink edges
🌸 Type: Decorative Dahlia
📏 Size: 36-48” tall, 18-24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: A subtle beauty! Eveline’s lavender-edged petals add a romantic touch, making it a great choice for wedding florals.
🌱 Growing Notes: A delicate and elegant bloom that looks beautiful in a vase with white or purple flowers.

A vibrant garden with pink, white, and purple dahlias in full bloom. The flowers are surrounded by lush green foliage, set against the backdrop of a dense forest and a warm, glowing sunset sky. — Dahlia ‘Eveline’

Karma Lagoon

✨ Color: Deep purple with hints of magenta
🌸 Type: Decorative Dahlia
📏 Size: 36-48” tall, 18-24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: A great cut flower! Karma series dahlias are known for long vase life, and Karma Lagoon’s rich coloring makes it a standout. Also dries well in silica gel.
🌱 Growing Notes: These are bred for superior cut flower performance.

A vibrant garden with numerous blooming purple dahlias in focus. The plants are supported with stakes having small terracotta pots placed on top. The background showcases more growing dahlia flowers of various colors and blurred foliage, adding to the garden’s lively ambiance. Dahlia karma lagoon — Dahlia ‘Karma Lagoon’

Karma Choc

✨ Color: Dark burgundy, almost black
🌸 Type: Decorative Dahlia
📏 Size: 36-48” tall, 18-24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: One of the darkest dahlias I’ve ever grown! Its deep, dramatic color creates stunning contrast in floral designs.
🌱 Growing Notes: Adds a touch of drama to any garden.

Ball Dahlias: Perfectly Round Beauties

Sweet Suzanne

✨ Color: Peach with soft yellow hues
🌸 Type: Ball Dahlia
📏 Size: 36-48” tall, 18-24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: Sweet Suzanne is a warm, peachy dahlia with a perfectly shaped ball form, making it a must-have for cut flower lovers.
🌱 Growing Notes: Produces an abundance of blooms. I noticed aphids were attracted to this one in my garden so you’ll want to keep an eye on them.

A single yellow dahlia flower blooms prominently amidst vibrant greenery and pink flowers in a garden setting. The close-up shot captures the delicate, layered petals in fine detail, against a blurred background of leaves and other blooms.

Jowey Winnie

✨ Color: Soft blush pink
🌸 Type: Ball Dahlia
📏 Size: 36-48” tall, 18-24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: A dream for floral design! Its dusty pink coloring pairs well with pastels, and the rounded petals make it an ideal choice for bouquets.
🌱 Growing Notes: Holds its color beautifully in arrangements. A must-have!

Two pink dahlia flowers with intricate petal arrangements bloom atop green stems with lush foliage, presenting a stunning close-up against a soft-focus garden background - Dahlia 'Jowey Winnie' with tips about growing dahlias — Dahlia ‘Jowey Winnie’

My Favorite Waterlily Dahlias

Crème de Cassis

✨ Color: Purple-pink petals with a dark reverse
🌸 Type: Decorative Dahlia
📏 Size: 36-48” tall, 18-24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: The two-tone petals give this dahlia a unique, almost velvety appearance. It’s a fantastic variety for adding depth to bouquets. A truly unique bloom!
🌱 Growing Notes: Resistant to some common dahlia pests.

Close-up of a vibrant pink dahlia flower in full bloom, surrounded by green foliage and various other flowers in the background. The large, multi-petaled bloom stands out prominently in a well-tended garden.

Crème de Cognac

✨ Color: Warm peachy-orange
🌸 Type: Ball Dahlia
📏 Size: 36-48” tall, 18-24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: A beautiful warm-toned dahlia that brings fall vibes into the garden. I loved the color with my green fencing.
🌱 Growing Notes: A long-lasting bloomer.

Three vibrant, orange-pink dahlias with layered petals bloom against a backdrop of green leaves and a lattice fence. The flowers' petals show slight variations in hue, with some deep pink accents near the centers.

My Favorite Collarette Dahlia Varieties

Pooh

✨ Color: Bright red with yellow tips
🌸 Type: Collarette Dahlia
📏 Size: 36” tall, 18” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: This cheerful, pollinator-friendly dahlia adds a playful pop of color to the garden. Bees love it! I bought it because one of my daughters LOVED pooh bear and I wanted to honor her in my cutting garden with this bloom.
🌱 Growing Notes: Attracts beneficial insects.

Teesbrook Audrey

✨ Color: Deep pink, often described as raspberry or magenta.
🌸 Type: Collarette Dahlia
📏 Size: 3-4″ blooms, 36-48” tall, 18-24” wide (This can vary, so adjust based on your experience)
🔹 Why I Love It: Teesbrook Audrey is a vibrant and eye-catching dahlia. The intense pink color is stunning in the garden and adds a pop of color to any bouquet. It’s a reliable bloomer and the flowers hold up well when cut. Personal Note: I love how the color seems to change in different light.
🌱 Growing Notes: Benefits from regular deadheading to encourage more blooms. May need staking, especially in windy areas.

A bee is perched on a vibrant flower with pink and white petals and a yellow center. The flower stands tall amidst greenery and other colorful blooms, with a blurred green fence and trees in the background. Sunlight bathes the scene, highlighting the details.

Favorite Anemone Dahlia Varieties

Lifestyle Anemone

✨ Color: Varies! Lifestyle Anemone is a series with many color variations. Some popular ones include ‘Lifestyle Peach’ (peachy-pink), ‘Lifestyle Lavender’ (lavender with a dark center), and ‘Lifestyle Red’ (bright red).
🌸 Type: Anemone Dahlia
📏 Size: 1-2″ blooms, 24-30” tall, 12-18” wide (This can vary, so adjust based on your experience and specific Lifestyle variety)
🔹 Why I Love It: I love the unique texture of anemone dahlias, and the Lifestyle series offers such a fun range of colors! They’re smaller than some other types, making them great for containers or adding pops of color to smaller spaces in the garden.
🌱 Growing Notes: These tend to be more compact and might not require staking, but it’s always good to have some support on hand.

A vibrant garden scene featuring a prominent orange and pink dahlia in the foreground. Other pink dahlias surround it, with lush green foliage and a softly blurred background, creating a serene and colorful atmosphere. — Dahlia Anemone Lifestyle

Must-Have Cactus Dahlia Varieties

Urchin

✨ Color: Spiky burgundy petals
🌸 Type: Cactus Dahlia
📏 Size: 36-48” tall, 18-24” wide
🔹 Why I Love It: Its spiky, unique shape gives it tons of texture in arrangements!
🌱 Growing Notes: Adds a touch of whimsy to bouquets. The color changes intensity season to season.

Growing Tips for Thriving Dahlias

For a complete guide, check out my detailed dahlia growing tips post here.

Dahlias Care Basics

Sun & Soil Requirements: Dahlias thrive in full sun (at least 6 hours) and rich, well-draining soil. Amend your soil with compost before planting. Get my easy compost recipe here.
Planting: Wait to plant your tubers until after all danger of frost has passed. For more specific dahlia planting tips, check out my post here.
Pinching: Pinch back the central shoot when the plants are about 8-12 inches tall. This encourages branching and more blooms.
Fertilizing: I use this slow release fertilizer 2 applications per season and a bloom booster every other week.
Staking: Stake taller varieties early to prevent snapping, especially in windy areas. I like using this trellis netting or tomato cages to keep the taller, heavier blooms upright.
Watering: Water deeply and regularly, especially during dry spells.
Pest Control: Keep an eye out for pests like slugs, aphids, and earwigs. For my best organic pest control tips, read this comprehensive post. For slugs, I like to use this granule.
Overwintering: Dahlias are zoned for USDA 7-10, so if you live in a colder climate like me, they’ll need to be overwintered and stored indoors for the season. Read my post that explains how to oversinter dahlias here.

A lush garden filled with colorful flowers, including vibrant purple dahlia blooms, is bathed in sunlight. A multi-tiered stone fountain stands in the background, adding a touch of elegance. Tall trees create a serene, leafy backdrop under a clear sky. Supporting tall flowers with green garden stakes that have terra cotta clay toppers and netting. Dahlia 'Thomas Edison' — Dahlia ‘Thomas Edison’

Harvesting Tips for the Longest Vase Life

For more details on harvesting and arranging, see my flower arranging tips post: [Link to my bouquet care post]

Timing: Cut flowers in the morning when they are fully hydrated.
Stage: Harvest when the blooms are just starting to open for the longest vase life. For some varieties, like Kogane Fubuki, I prefer to cut them when they are a bit more open.
Technique: Use clean, sharp shears to avoid damaging stems. Cut on a 45 degree angle so the bloom can take up more water and remove all the foliage.
Vase: Always use a clean vase before creating a flower arrangement.
Hydration: Place stems immediately in warm (100-110°F) water.
Feed: Feed your blooms with flower food.

🌸 DIY Flower Food for Longer-Lasting Blooms

My homemade flower food keeps dahlias fresh longer by feeding them the right nutrients! Get my homemade flower food recipe here.

Where to Buy Different Dahlia Varieties

I recommend purchasing your dahlia tubers from these reputable suppliers:

Which Dahlia Varieties Are Your Favorites?

I’d love to hear which dahlias you’re most excited to grow! Share your top picks in the comments below so we can chat about it more, and let me know if you have any questions. Have you had success with any of these varieties? Share your best dahlia growing tips!

garden blogger stacy ling with her dahlias in the cut flower garden

For more information about the different varieties of dahlia flowers, read this article from the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.

To drill down on more beginner gardening techniques and tips, please read these posts:

Thank you for visiting the blog today!

Enjoy your day! xo

A vibrant collage featuring a close-up of a pale pink dahlia at the top, with the text "Must-Grow Dahlia Varieties for Your Cutting Garden" in the center. Below is a garden filled with various pink and red dahlias.

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