The Best Dahlia Seeds and Bulbs

Buying Guide for Dahlia Seeds and Bulbs

Why buy dahlia seeds and bulbs?

Dahlias are an easy plant to grow, require pretty minimal watering, and their variety of shapes, sizes, and colors means that there’s a suitable dahlia flower for almost any garden. Dahlias are a species of flower in the same family as sunflowers, daisies, chrysanthemums, and zinnias.  They’re perennial flowers in warmer climates, meaning they’ll bloom again in the following years without needing to be replanted and do well when planted in flower beds mixed with other perennials.

What should you look for in dahlia seeds and bulbs?

• Quantity: Do you only want a single bloom, several, or a whole mess of them? Most bulbs are sold in packs of three to five at a time. You can, however, buy them only one at a time. You may prefer to purchase single bulbs if you’re after a specific color or set of colors and don’t want to leave it to the chance of an assorted collection of bulbs; this allows you to guarantee that you’ll have one red dahlia, one purple dahlia, etc. Or maybe you’re growing your flowers in a planter or pot instead of a garden or don’t have room in your garden bed for several plants. Buying dahlia tubers in larger sets may be a bit trickier, especially compared to seeds. Since they are relatively large flowers, they’re not often sold in big bulk packs.
• Colors: Various shades of pink, purple, yellow, orange, red, and white are the most common. There are also multicolored and striped dahlia flowers available. Some bulbs will be sold all in the same color, so you know you’ll be receiving and growing, say, three magenta dahlia bulbs. Others are sold in assorted packs, so you won’t know exactly which colors you’re getting until they’re fully grown and blossomed.
• Size: Depending on the type of dahlias your bulbs will grow into, they can be quite large flowers. Dinnerplate dahlias, for instance, may be a whole foot or more in diameter once they’re in full bloom. Some dahlias also can grow to a total height of 3 to 4 feet when fully mature. Some bulbs will list the estimated height and size their flowers will grow into, so be sure to consider that when you’re deciding where to plant them. Also, check if there’s a listing for how far apart you should space the dahlia bulbs when you plant them to ensure that there’s no overlap.

What’s the best planting environment for dahlia seeds and bulbs?

Dahlias are best planted once colder weather is entirely gone and the soil has had some time to warm up with the risk of frost over, depending on the climate you live in. If you want to start growing them a little sooner, you should plant them in pots and then transfer them outdoors once it’s warm enough. Dahlia seeds and bulbs alike thrive best in sunny areas with well-draining soil mixed with compost and planted in a wide, deep hole.

Our Picks for the Best Dahlia Seeds and Bulbs

Pros: With this pack, you receive a staggering 1,000 assorted dahlia seeds in a mix of multiple types, heights, and colors for one low, reasonable price. Colors range from white to yellow to pink to purple to multicolored. You’ll receive three bulbs in the shade you choose. Some of these flowers can grow over half a foot or more in diameter and two feet or more in height. As long as you plant and care for them properly, these dahlia blossoms can last for months at a time.

Cons: With assorted packs of seeds, you don’t get to choose which dahlias you’ll receive.

Bottom Line: If you’ve got a big garden with lots of space to fill up or if you’re simply after a set of large, very colorful flowers, these dahlia seeds are a great choice. With a true wealth of different colors, heights, and shapes once fully grown, these dahlias look equally great in your garden or cut and arranged as part of a bouquet or display.

 

Pros: This set of dahlia seeds is the choice for those on a budget or who want a high volume of flowers at a very low price. These seeds are pretty inexpensive yet are sold in packs of 100 at a time.  You’ll also receive an assortment of different colors and types of dahlias that grow from these seeds. Some of these flowers may even be multicolored or rarer shades and varieties that are harder to find, like hot-pink dahlias.

Cons: You have no control over which colors and species of dahlias you’ll receive.

Bottom Line: This packet of dahlia seeds is incredibly low-priced, and with 100 seeds per order, you should see several dozen new flowers, or more, blossoming in your garden. With the potential to receive more unusual, less common hues that usually cost more money, you may even get a little extra bang for your buck.

 

Pros: Besides the usual whites, yellows, reds, oranges, purples, pinks, and bicolored dahlias, there is a wide range of less common colors as well; the potential for lilac, mauve, lavender, and bronze are all present in these seeds. There are also some truly rare solid and multicolored shades, like hot pink or white and violet or multicolored (not just bicolored), of dahlias in this mix, colors that are much rarer and harder to find. The varieties of dahlias are assorted as well, from single to double blossoms to pom-pom dahlias and spikier species, and more.

Cons: While you don’t receive a small number of seeds, there are fewer seeds in this set than the larger packs containing 100 or even several hundred dahlia seeds.

Bottom Line: Sometimes, you may want more unusual colored and less common shaped flowers to stand out in your garden. With this assorted mixture of dahlia seeds, you’ll receive just that as well as a general wider range of the more standard colors than most mixes offer in the first place.

 

Pros: This Kelvin Floodlight variety of dinnerplate dahlia is widely thought to be one of, if not the, largest of all. The flower will be a sunny, aesthetically pleasing shade of yellow with clearly defined, flat-tipped, potentially wavy petals that’ll make it look even broader and fuller; you always know exactly what color and type of dahlia you’re receiving. If you live in a USDA hardiness zone 8 to 10, this dahlia will be a perennial, returning to bloom the following year without you having to replant another one or dig up and save the tuber. This variety is surprisingly not top-heavy despite its large size. Even when soaking wet after a rainstorm, it’ll remain tall and upright.

Cons: You will only receive a single tuber that blossoms into a single flower, and this tuber do cost more than many packs of multiple seeds, so you’re paying more money for far fewer flowers.

Bottom Line: You may want to grow a singular bloom to display in a vase on your dining room table or have limited garden space. If you’re looking only to buy a single dahlia tuber that will grow into a large, eye-catching bloom, this is the product for you.

 

Pros: These only grow into opera dahlias with the same bicolored pink-and-yellow petals. You receive 100+ seeds per pack, a good quantity you can plant all at once on larger plots or save some for next year (since these dahlias are only perennial in zones 9 to 12; other zones will have to dig up and preserve the tubers). The seeds should grow quickly, too; you should see sprouts within 7 to 21 days of planting them. If you’re a novice gardener, you’ll love the planting instructions that come included with your purchase.

Cons: Though you know exactly what you’re getting color and variety-wise with these dahlia seeds, keep in mind that the height can vary considerably. They can be anywhere from 8 to 24 inches tall.

Bottom Line: These dahlia seeds don’t leave it to chance—you know you’re getting dozens of rare and beautiful pink-and-yellow opera dahlias for your garden or planters.

Final Thoughts

Dahlias are large, beautiful flowers that can add some vibrancy to your home and garden. You can buy them as seeds bulbs or plant them as tubers. Whether you’re looking for a centerpiece of a flower bed or an attractive accent piece to highlight your other blooms, dahlias can suit both purposes admirably.