Buy These Dahlia Tubers for Best Market Blooms

In the early days of Triple Wren Farm, we used to sell thousands of dahlia bunches every week to wholesalers and grocery chains. I well remember the days when I used to deliver buckets of flowers out of the back of our station wagon! If you are looking to expand into dahlias as a market crop, we’d like to share our previous experience with you and tell you the best varieties of dahlias to grow for market.

There are a few essential traits that a dahlia plant/bloom had to exhibit before we’d allow it into our grocery program. Beyond being generally healthy, of course, we chose to ship dahlias that had reliably strong stems, that were decorative form (usually balls or pompons), and that had about 3.5″-4″ heads.

The best (and prettiest) way I can think of to let you know our favorite varieties for grocery is to walk through the rainbow, so by basic color group, here are our top favorites based on productivity and durability.

Pink and Coral Dahlias

Rebecca Lynn, Zippity Do Da, Castle Drive (can be too big if putting buckets in boxes), Salmon Runner, Linda’s Baby, Burlesca, Bloomquist Curt, Bloomquist Dave, Jowey Winnie

Red Dahlias

Cornel, Tahoma Velvet, Chimacum Nadjae, Robinhood, Chick-a-Dee, Snoho Doris

Orange and Peach Dahlias

Jowey Nicky, AC Firefly, Jowey Chantal, Sylvia, Terra cotta (it’s rare to find such a durable cactus form, but they’re great), Cornel Bronze, Amber Queen, Kasasagi, Hy Suntan, Rose Toscano

Yellow and Honey Dahlias

Golden Scepter, Winholme Diane, Hollyhill Spreckles, Crichton Honey, Blyton’s Softer Gleam, Valley Tawny, CG Amber

Purple, Lavender, and Plum Dahlias

Jessie G, AC White Rabbit, Franz Kafka, Mary Munns, Berner Oberland, Bluetiful, Irish Speckles, Bistro, Hollyhill Liz, Martina, Bloomquist Compare, Bloomquist Awesome, Snoho Sonia

Chocolate and Deep Red Dahlias

Lights Out, Shadow Cat, Moor Place, Karma Choc

White Dahlias

Orsett Beauty, l’Ancresse, White Swan, Karma Marten Zwaan, Small World, White Aster, White Nettie

Bicolor and Tricolor Dahlias

Foxy Lady, Valley Rust Bucket, Skipley’s Spot of Gold, Bonanza