Introduction
There is a specific kind of magic that happens in the garden when the first dahlia of the season opens its petals. These plants are the undisputed stars of the late-summer border, offering a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes that few other flowers can match. Whether you are dreaming of dinnerplate-sized blooms that command attention or neat, geometric ball dahlias for cutting, the journey starts with finding the best source for your plants.
At Longfield Gardens, we know that the secret to a spectacular floral display begins long before the first sprout appears. It starts with selecting high-quality dahlias from a source you can trust. Because dahlias come in thousands of varieties, knowing where to shop and what to look for ensures you get the specific colors and growth habits you want for your landscape.
This guide will walk you through the best places to find dahlia plants, how to distinguish between different types of dahlia stock, and what to look for in a quality supplier. Whether you are a first-time gardener or a seasoned pro looking to expand your collection, we are here to make the process simple and rewarding. Finding the right source for your dahlias is the first step toward a garden filled with vibrant, season-long color.
Understanding the Difference: Tubers vs. Potted Plants
Before you start shopping, it is helpful to understand the two primary ways dahlias are sold. Most gardeners buy dahlias as tubers, which are the thickened, underground roots of the plant. However, you may also find them sold as actively growing potted plants later in the spring.
The Benefits of Buying Dahlia Tubers
Tubers are the most common way to purchase dahlias, especially when shopping online. They look a bit like a bunch of brown carrots or small potatoes joined at a central point called the "crown." While they might not look like much when they arrive, these tubers contain all the energy the plant needs to kickstart its growth.
Buying tubers is usually the preferred method for several reasons:
- Variety: You will find hundreds more options in tuber form than you will ever find as potted plants.
- Shipping: Tubers are easy to ship safely and affordably while they are dormant.
- Cost: Tubers are generally less expensive than buying a fully grown plant in a plastic pot.
- Storage: You can buy tubers early in the year and keep them in a cool, dark place until your soil is warm enough for planting.
Buying Potted Dahlia Plants
In late spring or early summer, local garden centers often sell dahlias that are already six to twelve inches tall. These are "started" plants. While this offers immediate gratification, the selection is usually limited to just a few common colors or shorter "bedding" varieties. If you are looking for a specific, rare, or large-flowered variety like the famous Café au Lait, you will almost always need to buy it as a tuber earlier in the season.
Key Takeaway: For the widest selection of colors and the best value, plan to buy dahlia tubers in the winter or early spring rather than waiting to buy potted plants in the summer.
Where to Buy Dahlia Plants and Tubers
Depending on your goals and how much variety you want, there are three main places to source your dahlias. Each has its own set of advantages for the home gardener.
1. Online Flower Bulb Specialists
Online retailers are the most popular choice for dahlia enthusiasts. Companies that specialize in flower bulbs and tubers often have the most sophisticated storage and shipping systems. Because we work directly with expert growers in regions like Holland, we can offer a vast selection of varieties that aren't available anywhere else.
Shopping online allows you to filter your choices by height, bloom size, and color. This makes it much easier to plan a cohesive garden design. Most online orders are placed as "pre-orders" during the winter months, with the tubers being delivered to your doorstep exactly when it is time to plant in your specific climate.
2. Local Garden Centers and Nurseries
Your local nursery is a great place to pick up a few extra tubers or a blooming plant mid-season. The benefit of buying locally is that you can physically inspect the plant or tuber before purchasing. You can also ask the staff for advice on which varieties perform best in your specific town or soil type.
The trade-off is selection. Most local shops only carry a handful of varieties. If you have your heart set on a specific geometric ball dahlia or a towering dinnerplate variety, you might not find it at a general garden center.
3. Specialty Dahlia Farms and Societies
For gardeners looking for rare or "collector" varieties, specialty dahlia farms are an option. These are often smaller operations that focus exclusively on dahlias. Additionally, local chapters of the American Dahlia Society often hold tuber sales in the spring. These sales are fantastic for finding varieties that have been proven to grow well in your immediate geographic area.
What to Look for in a Quality Dahlia Supplier
Not all dahlia sources are created equal. Since the health of the tuber determines the success of the plant, you want to buy from a supplier that prioritizes quality and clear communication.
True-to-Type Guarantee
One of the most frustrating experiences in gardening is planting a "white" dahlia and having it bloom bright orange. A high-quality supplier should offer a 100% quality guarantee. This means the plant that grows will match the variety name and photo you saw when you purchased it.
Proper Storage and Handling
Dahlias are sensitive to temperature. They shouldn't get too cold (which causes freezing) or too warm (which causes them to dry out or sprout prematurely). Professional suppliers keep their tubers in climate-controlled environments until the moment they are shipped. When you receive your order, the tubers should feel firm, like a fresh potato. If they are shriveled or mushy, they may have been stored incorrectly.
Clear Shipping Timelines
Because dahlias are tropical plants native to Mexico and Central America, they cannot handle frost. A good supplier will not ship your tubers in the middle of a January cold snap. Instead, they should time the delivery based on your USDA hardiness zone. This ensures that the tubers aren't sitting on a cold delivery truck for days or arriving before your soil is warm enough to receive them.
Key Takeaway: A trustworthy supplier will provide a firm, healthy tuber and time the shipment so it arrives about two weeks before your local planting date.
Choosing the Right Dahlia Varieties for Your Garden
When you are looking at where to buy dahlia plants, the sheer number of options can be a little overwhelming. To make the best choice, it helps to categorize them by how you plan to use them in your yard. We recommend choosing a mix of shapes and sizes to keep the garden interesting from July through the first frost.
Dinnerplate Dahlias
These are the giants of the dahlia world. Kelvin Floodlight (bright yellow) can produce flowers up to 10 or 12 inches across. These plants grow tall—often 4 feet or more—and will need sturdy stakes to support the weight of the massive blooms.
Thomas Edison (deep purple) can produce flowers up to 10 or 12 inches across. They are perfect for the back of a flower bed or as a focal point.
Decorative and Ball Dahlias
If you love making bouquets, these are the varieties for you. Decorative dahlias have a classic look with slightly flat petals. Cornel is famous for its "vase life," meaning it stays fresh for a long time after being cut.
Ball dahlias have a perfectly round, geometric shape. Ball Dahlias are a great choice for gardeners who love flowers with long vase life.
Jowey Winnie is another standout with a perfectly round shape and excellent vase life. Their stems are usually long and strong, making them easy to arrange.
Cactus and Semi-Cactus Dahlias
These dahlias have narrow, pointed petals that give them a spiky, starburst appearance. They add a unique texture to the garden and are often very prolific bloomers. Cactus Dahlias are a great choice if you want something that looks a bit more "exotic" than a standard daisy-shaped flower.
Border and Gallery Dahlias
Not everyone has room for a four-foot-tall plant. If you are gardening in containers or have a small urban space, look for "low-growth" or border dahlias. These typically stay under two feet tall but still produce plenty of beautiful flowers. They don't require staking, which makes them a very low-maintenance option.
When Is the Best Time to Buy?
In the world of dahlias, the early bird gets the best blooms. While you won't actually plant your dahlias until the soil is warm in late spring, the shopping season starts much earlier.
- January – March: This is the peak time to buy dahlia tubers online. Most retailers open their shops for pre-orders during these months. Popular varieties like Café au Lait often sell out by early spring, so it pays to shop early.
- April – May: Local garden centers begin stocking tubers in bags with peat moss. This is a good time to pick up "staple" varieties.
- May – June: This is when you will find started, potted dahlia plants at nurseries. This is the best time for "gap-filling" if you realized you have an empty spot in your garden.
At Longfield Gardens, we allow customers to reserve their favorite varieties early in the year. We then hold those tubers in our climate-controlled facility in New Jersey and ship them out as soon as the weather in your area is safe for delivery. For more details, see our Shipping Information.
How to Inspect Your Tubers After Buying
Once your order arrives or you bring your tubers home from the store, it is a good idea to give them a quick inspection. Knowing what a healthy tuber looks like will give you confidence when you head out to the garden.
- Check the Texture: The tuber should feel firm and heavy for its size. A little bit of surface wrinkling is normal, but it shouldn't feel like a dried-out sponge.
- Look for the "Eye": The eye is a small bump located on the "neck" of the tuber, near where it attaches to the old stem. This is where the new growth will come from. Sometimes eyes are hard to see until the tuber warms up, so don't worry if you don't see a green sprout immediately.
- Check for "Necks": The narrow part that connects the tuber to the crown is called the neck. It is important that this neck isn't broken or cracked. If the tuber is hanging by a thread, it may not be able to send energy to the eye.
What to do next:
- Open the shipping box immediately to let air circulate.
- Keep the tubers in a cool (40-50°F), dark, and dry place until planting.
- Check your local frost dates to determine the best planting weekend.
- Wait until the soil reaches 60°F before putting tubers in the ground.
Making Gardening Simple: Success with Your New Plants
Buying the right plants is half the battle, but how you treat them once they arrive matters just as much. We believe gardening should be a relaxing hobby, not a chore. By following a few basic rules, you can ensure your new dahlias thrive. For a broader overview, see All About Dahlias.
Wait for the Heat
The biggest mistake gardeners make is planting dahlias too early. Because they are tropical, dahlias love warm soil. If you plant them in cold, wet ground in April, the tubers may simply sit there and rot. A good rule of thumb is to plant your dahlias at the same time you plant your tomatoes and peppers. If the air is warm enough for you to wear a t-shirt outside, it is probably warm enough for your dahlias.
Sun and Drainage
When choosing a spot for your new dahlias, look for two things: full sun and good drainage. "Full sun" means at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight a day. Sunlight is the fuel that creates those big, beautiful flowers. "Good drainage" means the water should soak into the soil quickly after a rain. If you have heavy clay soil that stays soggy, consider planting your dahlias in a raised bed or a large container.
Simple Planting Depth
You don't need a ruler to plant a dahlia. Simply dig a hole about 4 to 6 inches deep. For more details on planting depth, lay the tuber on its side in the hole (it doesn't have to be vertical) and cover it with soil. If you are planting a tall variety, this is the best time to push a stake into the ground next to the tuber. Doing it now prevents you from accidentally poking a hole through the tuber later in the season.
Water Sparingly at First
New dahlia tubers don't have roots yet, so they can't drink much water. In most climates, the natural moisture in the soil is enough to get them started. Avoid watering them heavily until you see the first green sprouts poking through the soil. Once the plant is established and growing fast, you can begin a more regular watering schedule.
Why Quality Matters for Long-Term Success
When you decide where to buy dahlia plants, you are investing in the future of your summer landscape. High-quality tubers from a reputable source are more likely to be vigorous, disease-free, and productive.
At Longfield Gardens, we maintain a trial garden where we grow the same varieties we sell to our customers. This allows us to observe how different dahlias perform in real-world conditions. We only offer varieties that we know will provide a beautiful and reliable display for home gardeners. Our 100% quality guarantee means that if your items aren't true to variety or arrive in poor condition, we are here to make it right. We want you to feel confident and excited every time you head out to your garden.
Summary of How to Buy Dahlias
Finding the perfect dahlias is a fun part of the winter planning process. By shopping with a specialist, you gain access to a world of color and form that local stores simply can't match.
- Plan ahead: Shop online in late winter for the best selection of colors and shapes.
- Prioritize tubers: They offer better value and more variety than potted plants.
- Check for quality: Look for firm tubers and a true-to-type guarantee from your supplier.
- Time it right: Ensure your source ships based on your local climate and planting dates.
"Buying dahlias should be the start of a season-long celebration. By choosing the right source and the right varieties, you set yourself up for a garden that brings joy to you and your neighbors all summer long."
For the best results, remember to match the plant to your space. If you have a sunny spot with well-draining soil, you are already most of the way to a successful dahlia season. All that's left is to pick your favorite colors and wait for the magic to begin.
FAQ
Is it better to buy dahlia tubers or seeds?
For most home gardeners, buying tubers is the better choice. Dahlias grown from seeds are often unpredictable; you won't know exactly what the flower will look like until it blooms, and the plants are usually much smaller. Tubers are clones of the parent plant, so you are guaranteed to get the specific color, size, and shape you purchased.
When should I order my dahlia tubers?
The best time to order is between January and March. This is when online retailers have their full inventory available. Many popular or award-winning varieties sell out quickly, so placing a pre-order early in the year ensures you get the exact plants you want for your garden design.
Can I buy dahlia plants at a big-box hardware store?
Most large hardware stores carry a limited selection of dahlia tubers in the spring, usually sold in bags of peat moss. While these are often inexpensive, the selection is very small compared to a specialty retailer. If you want specific varieties like dinnerplate or cactus dahlias, you will likely need to shop with a specialist.
How do I know if a dahlia tuber I bought is still alive?
A healthy, living tuber should feel firm to the touch, similar to a fresh potato. It should not feel hollow, mushy, or completely shriveled. If you see a tiny pink or green "eye" starting to sprout near the top of the tuber, that is a sure sign that the plant is alive and ready to grow.
