Most Productive Dahlia Varieties
Updated February 26, 2025
I grow dozens of varieties of gorgeous dahlias every year on my 1-acre flower farm in Burt, NY. After growing dahlias on a large scale for the past 7 years, I’ve come to know and love different dahlia varieties for a variety reasons.
Some dahlias are incredibly productive and well-suited for growing on the flower farm where I need tons of blooms every week to use in wedding work and to sell to other local florists. They’re the workhorses of the dahlia patch that reliably chug out endless amounts of blooms for the whole season.
Meanwhile, some dahlias are incredibly unique and beautiful and I grow them for that reason, whether they are productive or not. Some of these “beyond beautiful” varieties end up in my home gardens just for the enjoyment of having them in my yard — and I don’t cut and use them at all! I love these dahlias because they bring interest and beauty to my garden and to be honest, they just make my life more joyful. What other reason do I need to keep growing them than that?
If you’re considering buying dahlia tubers this year, here is my list of most productive dahlia varieties vs. the most unique, beautiful garden specimen dahlia varieties.
I hope these lists might help you make some great decisions about which dahlia varieties you want to grow this year!
side note: our dahlia-growing manifesto
I recently wrote a 216-page book all about growing dahlias called Growing Gorgeous Dahlias: The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Abundant Dahlias from Garden to Flower Farm. Everything we know about growing dahlias is found within these pages! For both beginner and experienced growers, I recommend getting yourself a copy or asking your library to purchase one for you to borrow!
Download a digital copy of our dahlia-growing manifesto! Growing Gorgeous Dahlias: The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Abundant Dahlias from Garden to Flower Farm
the most productive dahlia varieties
The criteria for the most productive dahlias include:
Tons of blooms over a long blooming period
Good tuber producers (they all grow lots of underground roots for splitting into new plants)
I also have a list of Favorite Dahlia Varieties for Weddings where some of these varieties overlap.
The color of Diva is simply divine… a burgundy-red base with hints of iridescent purple on perfectly formed petals. Huge heads & hyper productive in both blooms and tubers.
Chimacum Katie is our favorite hot pink ball dahlia in the field, pumping out colorful bursts of blooms all season!
Jomanda is a gorgeous red-orange ball dahlia, shooting up perfectly formed flowers all season long.
Cornel is a vibrant cherry red ball dahlia with the same impressive growth habit as her sister, Cornel Bronze. Why it took us so long to grow Cornel, I’ll never know!
The most underrated dahlia, in our opinion. Huge, waterlily-like blooms on strong, sturdy plants. They’re absolutely perfect.
Salmon Runner produces endless coral blooms on gorgeous DARK stems! She’s a gorgeous garden specimen and highly productive plant for cut flowers.
Maarn is the orange ball that keeps going and going. True orange fades to soft orange in fall. Some flowers have curled single petals.
Blizzard is one of our favorite pure white dahlias. Blizzard is highly productive and a floral designer favorite!
Cornel Bronze dahlias deliver a gorgeous, deep, moody terracotta color and are one of the most reliable blooms in the field (which is why everyone grows them!)
Every year we love Wyoming Wedding dahlias more than the last. She is one of the brightest dahlias in our field; highly productive and shoots up more blooms than most other dahlias!
Linda’s Baby is a gorgeous pinky-coral ball dahlia and designer’s favorite. A middle-stature plant, this one blends wonderfully in the garden.
Castle Drive has the most elegant decorative form with large heads in a gorgeous blend of buttercream and soft rosy pink. We can’t do without this one for our weddings!
A buttercream ball dahlia with the sweetest light yellow-ivory coloring. Amazing for design work, especially weddings.
Ivanetti is a staple in our field and floral work. She is the most perfect, deep cherry red and looks incredible with deep dark blooms like ‘Hollyhill Black Beauty.’
the most unique dahlia varieties for growing in the garden
The criteria for these dahlias include:
Jaw dropping beauty
That’s it! (many of them are also good tuber producers)
Gitts Crazy is a dazzling variety with bright yellow & red blooms atop the tallest stems in the field.
An unsuspecting two-toned dahlia that is striking in every way. Tangerine Dream frequently produces 4 blooms on one stem!
Jowey Winnie is an extra-large ball with raspberry peachy petals and purple undertones toward the center of the bloom. One of our favorites for wedding work!
The Queen of the field! Cafe Au Lait is the most requested dahlia we grow on our farm. She is absolutely exquisite. You MUST grow her if you haven’t before.
Giant puffy, fluffy deep coral blooms open to the most magnificent display in the garden.
Huge cheery faces of sunshine yellow! Kelvin Floodlights have some of the largest blooms in the field and will brighten up the back of a garden.
Peaches ‘n Cream is one of those unbelievable triumphs of nature. The striping effect of pinks, peaches and whites on this one will knock you over.
Hollyhill Black Beauty is the darkest Dahlia in our field — a true black maroon Dahlia that is an amazing cut flower and a total stunner in the garden!
Penhill Dark Monarch dahlias are a total statement maker in garden and floral design.
Omega is a giant pink-coral dinnerplate dahlia with unbelievable shaggy cactus petals. Bees sleep in this one. Amazing in the garden.
for more help growing dahlias, read on…
How to Plant Dahlia Tubers & Maintain Dahlias Organically / may 2021
When to Dig Dahlia Tubers / nov 2021
When to Split Dahlia Tubers - Now or Later? / nov 2023
The #1 Mistake Not to Make When Splitting Dahlia Tubers / nov 2023
Are Dahlias Hard to Grow? / feb 2024
Storing Dahlia Tubers in Wood Pine Shavings / feb 2022
How to Deal with Crown Gall or Leafy Gall on Dahlias / nov 2022
Will Deer Eat My Field of Dahlias? / nov 2022
How to Store Dahlias Over Winter & Get Rid of Mold / apr 2020
I Skipped Drip Irrigation on the Dahlias; Here’s What Happened / nov 2022
Our Favorite Dahlias for Wedding Designs / dec 2023