My First Dahlia Wars!

Yes, my friends, dahlia wars are a thing! I was simply looking for pretty dahlias to pre-order during the dreary, rainy days of the first few months of this year to remind myself that beautiful weather isn't that far away. But I got totally caught up in the hype. So what are dahlia wars? Basically it's trying to buy dahlias online and checking out as fast as you can before they sell out! Honestly, we're talking minutes here!

Now, there's plenty of beautiful dahlias to choose from and many are still readily available, but there's always a handful of exclusive "unicorns" that are highly sought after and/or really hard to get (I'm looking at you Bloomquist Tory P).

If you've never grown dahlias before, but think you may want to give them a try, here's some brief history and information for your perusal!

"Linda's Baby" (Credit: Sara Maximoff)

1. Where do dahlias come from?

Dahlias are native to Mexico and Central America, and in fact, the dahlia was declared the national flower of Mexico in 1963. They were first brought over to Europe, specifically the Botanical Gardens in Madrid, in the late 1700s.

The name "Dahlia" was in honor of Anders Dahl, a Swedish botanist and student of Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy. I'm guessing back then they didn't expect some people are now in turn named Dahlia!

"Eveline" (Credit: Ralphs_Fotos)

2. What types of dahlias are there?

"Cafe au Lait" (Credit: Nennieinszweidrei)

We're really spoiled for choice when it comes to dahlias! They range in sizes from micro (less than 2″ in diameter) to over 10″ across for the giant dinnerplate ones! They also come in a number of forms, such as my favorite ball or pompom, waterlily, and formal decorative (which is probably the shape that most people think of when they think of dahlias).

As far as colors go, well, there's just too many to count! Interesting fact – there are no true blue dahlias! That's because dahlias lack the particular enzyme needed to make the necessary blue pigment.

3. Are dahlias perennials?

"Otto's Thrill" (Credit: Mari)

Yes and no. Like all plants, growing conditions play a crucial role in their survival and growth. Dahlias are perennials in the sense that they do have the ability to grow and bloom again the next season, but in many parts of North America, the weather is much too cold for them during the winter, and the dahlia tubers (the tuberous roots of a dahlia plant) simply can't survive. To know whether dahlias can survive in your location during the winter, you have to know your plant hardiness zone. Generally, dahlias are perennials in zones 8 and above.

At the end of 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture updated the plant hardiness zone map for the first time since 2012, which unfortunately due to climate change, is about 2.5 °F warmer than the 2012 map across the contiguous U.S.

But fear not if you live in zone 7 or below. You can either treat dahlias as annuals, or you can dig them up in the fall and overwinter them until the next season when you can plant them again. There's lots of info online on how to store your tubers over the winter months, but be forewarned, there might be some trial and error before you find the method that works best for you, so don't get too attached!

4. Do dahlias get diseases?

"Maarn" (Credit: Ralphs_Fotos)

Yes, dahlias do get diseases, and unfortunately some have no treatment. Crown gall and leafy gall are two of the most dreaded ones caused by a bacteria. Both result in abnormal growth – Crown gall causes bulbous growth to the root itself while leafy gall causes dozens of sprouts growing out of one area all at once. As much as it pains you, infected plants need to be removed and destroyed to prevent the bacteria from spreading. Don't throw them into your compost!

Prevention is always best. One way is to buy your tubers from reputable growers. Imported tubers tend to be more problematic, usually because the dahlias are grown in massive quantities and tubers dug up by machines, so there's less care in checking each one carefully to ensure they're disease-free before being sold. Another way is to sanitize your tools between plants, so that even if you unknowingly have one or two diseased plants, at least you're not spreading the diseases throughout the entirety of your garden.

5. Where can I find more information?

"Megan Dean" (Credit: Meatle)

The national and local dahlia societies, such as the American Dahlia Society and the Portland Dahlia Society, are wonderful resources for getting more information, from knowing about the different types of dahlias to how to grow them successfully. In addition to what's available on their website, many societies also have regular meetings and seminars where you can learn from experts. My favorite events are the annual dahlia shows and tuber sales!

Credit: Lynnelle Cleveland

I'm super looking forward to when I get my pre-orders and I can start planting them, and even more looking forward to when I can start displaying beautiful blooms in pretty vases all around the house! Hopefully I can score a few more beauties next year. I'm not going to give up until I get those unicorns!