Dahlia Flowers

Dahlias have been highly sought after in Europe for more than 200 years, despite having their origins in South America. Popular all around the world, these flowers are related to the Sunflower, Daisy, and Chrysanthemum families. Dahlias are also known as ‘valley flowers’ due to the Swedish reference of ‘valley’ for ‘dahl’. They vary from 2 inches to 10 inches in width, and have over 40 different flower types.

Dahlias are used for many decorative purposes, such as in floral shows, garden plants, arrangements, and in weddings. These flowers bloom longer than most other garden plants, and when cut, dahlias are one of the longest-lasting flowers, becoming a popular flower for weddings and bouquets.  Dahlias are also very popular flower used in hand bouquets. dahlias are the perfect flower to express commitment and honesty. So, if you wish to let someone special know that you are committed, go ahead and arrange for a flower delivery of a wonderful dahlia flower bouquet !

History of Dahlia

Reports show that the dahlia was seen as early as 1525 in Mexico by Spaniards. Parts of the dahlia was sent to the Royal Gardens in Madrid in 1789 by the Director of Botanical Garden in Mexico City. The flower was named ‘Dahlia’ in 1791 by Antonio Jose Cavanilles, Director of Royal Gardens Madrid, in honor of Anders Dahl. It was introduced to Great Britain from Spain in 1798. The original 20 species brought over to Europe has resulted in over 500,000 hybrids of Dahlias.

Dahlia Flower Meaning

Dahlias are linked to positive messages of finding inner strength, due to the plant’s ability to thrive in harsh conditions. Other meanings include remaining graceful and standing out due to their distinctive beauty. Dahlias can be given to lovers, family members, or even friends. Dahlias are well-known for being given to express support, commitment, and appreciation for the recipient. Sending a bouquet of dahlias shows that you draw strength from the recipient. 

White dahlias symbolize purity and innocence, and pink dahlias symbolize grace, kindness, beauty, and femininity. Red dahlias express power and strength, and green-tinted dahlias express new beginnings. Dark-tinted dahlias, however, symbolise negative feelings such as betrayal, instability, and dishonesty.

Dahlia Symbolism

Dahlias were used by the Victorians to signify lasting bonds and commitments between two individualism, but modern dahlia lovers can also buy the plant as a celebration of a new habit or beginning. Dahlia is often considered a birth flower for August, or sometimes in November birth flower depending on the society’s culture. The national flower of Mexico, and the official flower of San Francisco and Seattle. Several cultures also use dahlia to represent diversity due to each head containing numerous petals which fits seamlessly together.

There are many more dahlia flower meanings derived from the appearance of the Dahlia flower and its significance to human kind. Some of the most common Dahlia flower meanings are:

Dahlia Red – Strength and power
Dahlia pink – Kindness, grace and love
Dahlia purple – grace, dignity and royalty
Dahlia white – purity, love and commitment
Dahlia blue – new begining
Dahlia green – freshness, new chapter of life

Dahlia Cut Flower Care Tips

Keep the water in the vase clean by changing it regularly every two to three days, making sure there are no leaves which fall below the water level. Dahlias are also sensitive to extreme hot weather and should not be placed in full sun exposure. Read more of how to care for fresh cut flowers.