A Comprehensive Guide to 27 Stunning Dahlia Varieties for Your Garden

Are you ready to elevate your late summer garden game? Look no further than dahlias! With their 15 stunning flower forms, wide range of colors, and varying sizes that go from petite pompoms to massive dinnerplates, dahlias are a must-have for any garden.

These tender perennials, often grown as annuals, are incredibly versatile and thrive in sunny settings, making them a perfect addition to your garden border or as a focal point in groups. But with thousands of cultivars available, how do you choose the best one for your garden?

To help you navigate the world of dahlias, we’ve put together a list of 27 of the best dahlia varieties that are sure to elevate your garden and yard. From rich colors to unique flower forms, there’s something for everyone!

27 of the Best Dahlia Varieties

Table of Contents

Alfred Grille
- Unique, charming spiky dahlia with buttery yellow petals transitioning to salmon pink
- Ideal for massing, tall borders, or cut flower arrangements
American Dream
- Bold and showy dahlia with raspberry-streaked pink flowers
- Perfect for focal points in beds, foundations, or cutting gardens
Apricot Desire
- Sumptuous dahlia with delicate apricot pink flowers and pale yellow base
- Great for centerpieces, pastel backgrounds, and floral arrangements
Bishop of Canterbury
- Crown jewel dahlia with deep magenta petals and dark foliage
- Excellent choice for containers, borders, and cutting gardens
Bodacious
- Dramatic dahlia with tomato red petals and creamy yellow tips
- Adds height and color to gardens, islands, and cottage gardens
Brown Sugar
- Sweet choice with glowing coppery orange petals
- Perfect for autumn color in beds, borders, and foundations
Chat Noir
- Velvety dark merlot dahlia with cupped petals
- Adds dark intrigue to beds, foundations, and floral arrangements
Cornel Bronze
- Symmetrical dahlia with bronzy orange petals
- Adds pastel charm to tall borders, gardens, and cutting gardens
Destiny’s Teacher
- Colorful dahlia with streaked burgundy and white flowers
- Unique choice for containers, borders, and floral arrangements
Labyrinth
- Mesmerizing dahlia with graceful, twisting petals in blended shades
- Adds magical charm to beds, borders, and cutting gardens
Lisonette
- Fiery dahlia with tightly rolled, narrow petals in lemon yellow and vermillion
- Vibrant choice for beds, containers, and cutting gardens
Mingus Randy
- Striking dahlia with purple buds and lavender petals
- Thrilling addition to large plantings and cut flower arrangements
Moor Place
- Geometric gem with deep burgundy to purple petals
- Showy choice for formal beds, borders, containers, and vases
Mystic Spirit
- Alluring dahlia with pale peach petals and chocolate disc
- Inspirational choice for beds, borders, containers, and vases
Orange Impact
- Juicy dahlia with apricot orange petals and yellow center
- Excellent for creating vibrant color blocks in gardens
Pinkie Swear
- Promise of summer with cerise and fuchsia petals
- Colorful performer for beds, borders, and tall gardens
Polka
- Lively dahlia with buttery yellow center and purple picotee margins
- Vibrant choice for pastel rhythm in gardens and vases
Pooh
- Vibrantly colored dahlia with wide vermillion petals
- Bright, sunny choice for cottage gardens and mixed beds
Pot Luck
- Impressive dahlia with burgundy, pink, and red blooms
- Adds red and pink tones to cut flower arrangements
Pulp Fiction
- Dramatic dahlia with fiery red flowers and dark disc
- Bold focal point for containers and beds
Rip City
- Slam dunk dahlia with shaggy-petaled burgundy flowers
- Showy addition to beds, foundations, and cut flower arrangements
Rosie Raven
- Elaborate dahlia with mulberry red flowers and frilly burgundy petals
- Spectacular massed into drifts or eye-catching accents
Sassafras
- Spiky dahlia with sunshine yellow petals
- Ideal for cut flowers or as an accent in mixed beds
Thomas Edison
- Glowing dahlia with deep magenta petals
- Superb for cut flowers and massed plantings
Vancouver
- Fresh dahlia with magenta petals tipped in white
- Sparkling choice for beds, borders, and gardens
Veronne’s Obsidian
- Striking dahlia with dark maroon petals
- Exquisite choice for containers, planters, and arrangements
White Star
- Explosive dahlia with creamy white petals
- Dazzling massed into beds and borders or as a showpiece

Late Summer Splendor with Dahlias

With close to 60,000 cultivars, dahlias offer a wide range of distinctive flower forms and colors that add unparalleled beauty to your late summer garden.
Whether you prefer the symmetrical ball varieties, demure collarettes, or bold decorative giants, there’s a dahlia for every garden setting.

Taller cultivars are perfect for the back of beds or as focal points, while mid-sized dahlias work well in any setting, from beds to borders. Compact varieties are ideal for low borders and containers. And don’t forget, dahlias make excellent cut flowers!

Have you picked out your favorite dahlia variety from our list? Let us know in the comments below and share your garden plans.

For more information on growing dahlias, check out these guides:
– Why Dahlias May Fail to Bloom (And What to Do About It)
– How to Propagate Dahlia Stem and Tuber Cuttings
– 19 of the Best Flowering Companion Plants for Dahlias

Dahlias are truly a gardener’s delight, offering a burst of color and beauty that lasts well into late summer. So go ahead, plant a few varieties this year, and enjoy the stunning display they bring to your garden and yard!