Dahlias are one of the most popular flowers grown in gardens today. Known for their incredible diversity and colorful blooms there are thousands of dahlia cultivars to choose from. One particularly distinctive dahlia series is the Delilah series. But what exactly is a Delilah dahlia?
The short answer is that Delilah refers to a specific branded series of dahlia cultivars, not a separate flower species itself. Delilah dahlias feature large, double blooms in vivid shades of pink, purple, red, orange, yellow, white and bicolor blends. Their compact growth habit also makes them ideal for containers.
To understand the Delilah dahlia, we first need to take a brief tour through the long and complex history of the dahlia flower overall.
A Little Background on Dahlias
Dahlias are native to Mexico and Central America. There are 42 accepted species within the genus Dahlia, which is part of the Asteraceae family along with sunflowers, daisies, and chrysanthemums.
Dahlias were treasured by ancient Aztec cultures, where they grew them as a crop for food and medicine. The Europeans first encountered dahlias in the early 1500s during the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
The first living dahlia plants weren’t transported to Europe until 1789. At that time, a Spanish botanist named Antonio José Cavanilles received tubers from the director of the Botanic Garden in Mexico City. Cavanilles successfully grew and flowered them in Madrid, Spain and named the first three species – Dahlia pinnata, Dahlia rosea, and Dahlia coccinea.
Over the next decades, more dahlia species were discovered in Mexico and shared among botanical gardens in Europe. Cross-breeding between species led to an explosion of new dahlia hybrids and cultivars.
By the 1800s thousands of dahlia cultivars existed, though they were notoriously difficult to classify. In 1829 all dahlias in Europe were lumped under the broad name Dahlia variabilis. It wasn’t until the 1960s that the modern dahlia classification system took form.
Today the number of registered dahlia cultivars has climbed to over 57,000!
The Origin of the Delilah Dahlia Series
In the midst of all these new dahlia developments, where did the Delilah series come from?
The Delilah dahlias trace their roots back to a company called Dümmen Orange. This company has long been a leader in breeding new ornamental plant varieties.
In the early 2000s, Dümmen Orange launched a new branded series of compact dahlias called Dahlinova. The Dahlinova dahlias were known for their vivid colors, prolific blooms, and petite container-friendly sizes.
Building on the success of Dahlinova, in 2008 Dümmen Orange introduced the new Delilah series. Delilah took the best traits of Dahlinova and focused in on dahlias featuring large, fully double flowers.
Like Dahlinova, Delilah dahlias were bred to shine in small space gardens and containers. Their tight, bushy growth reaches just 10-28 inches tall, making staking generally unnecessary.
Early and continuous flowering was also a breeding priority, with the aim to extend the dahlia bloom season in gardens. Enhanced disease resistance allowed the plants to thrive with less maintenance.
And the flowers certainly didn’t disappoint – Delilah dahlias show off fully double blooms 2-5 inches across, in vivid shades from pink to purple to red.
Over a decade later, the Delilah dahlia series continues to expand with new color options added each year. Let’s look at what sets Delilah dahlias apart from other dahlia groups.
Notable Traits of Delilah Dahlias
Compact Size
With their petite statures reaching just 10-28 inches tall, Delilah dahlias are bred to perfectly fit today’s gardens and containers.
Ideal for Containers
The compact growth habit and smaller stature makes Delilah dahlias a fantastic choice for planting in pots and window boxes.
Vibrant, Saturated Colors
Delilah dahlias shine in bold, rich hues like pink, purple, orange, red and bicolors. Pastel tones are not a focus of this series.
Full Double Blooms
The signature of Delilah dahlias are the large, fully double flower forms up to 5 inches across. Flower forms include decorative, peony, orchid and more.
Early Blooming
Early flowering extends the gardening season, with some Delilahs starting as early as mid-summer.
Enhanced Disease Resistance
Bred for improved disease resistance, Delilah dahlias are less susceptible to common dahlia diseases like powdery mildew.
Continuous Flowering
Deadheading spent blooms promotes continuous flowering from mid-summer into fall frost.
Wide Color Range
The series offers a versatile spectrum of flower colors including pink, purple, lavender, red, orange, yellow, white and multicolors.
Perfect for Cut Flowers
With long vase life and beautiful blooms, Delilah dahlias make fantastic cut flowers. The petite bushes produce masses of blooms for bouquets.
Popular Delilah Dahlia Varieties
The Delilah series includes a diverse selection of cultivars. Here are descriptions of some of the most popular varieties:
Delilah Twinkle – Cheery double blooms of bright yellow on compact 10-12 inch plants. A charmer in containers.
Delilah Raspberry Fizz – Unique collarette-type flowers with raspberry pink petals and yellow centers. Grows just 12 inches tall.
Delilah Anastasia – Lavender-pink, 4-5 inch single blooms on taller plants reaching 28 inches. Gorgeous in the garden.
Delilah Velvet – Intense single blooms with velvety mustard and black bicolor petals on 16-20 inch plants. Striking in bouquets.
Delilah Fabulous – Double, peony-like blooms in a vibrant blend of fuchsia, purple, white and yellow. Bushy 20 inch plants.
Delilah Marilyn – Formal double blooms of soft pink with deeper pink undersides, blooming early on 18 inch compact plants.
Delilah Queen of Night – Deep purple, almost black decorative flowers on 22 inch plants. Makes a dramatic statement in borders.
Growing and Caring for Delilah Dahlias
Delilah dahlias aren’t difficult to grow, but providing optimal care will help them reach their full potential. Here are some tips:
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Plant in full sun (at least 6 hours daily) in fertile, well-draining soil.
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Water regularly the first year as plants establish. Mature plants prefer a thorough weekly soak.
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Stake taller varieties and pinch out buds to encourage bushy growth.
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Deadhead spent blooms to prolong flowering into fall.
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Divide tubers and replant each spring after danger of frost has passed.
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Apply a balanced fertilizer at planting and midway through the season.
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In zones with cold winters, dig up tubers after frost and store them over winter in a cool place.
Where to Use Delilah Dahlias
One of the hallmarks of Delilah dahlias is flexibility. Their compact sizes allow them to shine in either gardens or containers:
Garden Beds and Borders
Place Delilah dahlias in mixed beds and borders for vivid color. They make great companions for echinaceas, asters, grasses and other fall perennials. Mass plant or sprinkle them throughout the garden.
Containers
The small stature and bountiful blooms of Delilah dahlias are perfect for pops of color in pots, window boxes and hanging baskets. Use one variety or create combinations.
Cut Flower Gardens
Many gardeners dedicate a section solely to cutting flowers. The masses of blooms on Delilah bushes are perfect for cutting armloads of flowers.
Are Delilah Flowers a Separate Species?
This is a common point of confusion – Delilah refers to a branded series, not a distinct dahlia species itself.
Remember, all dahlias belong to the genus Dahlia. Delilah is simply a trademarked name for a targeted group of new dahlia hybrids specially bred by Dümmen Orange.
The Delilah dahlias can include cultivars from many of the different dahlia flower type classifications, including single, peony, collarette, orchid, anemone and more. But they all share the key traits being selected for in the Delilah series – compact growth, high disease resistance, continuous blooms, and vivid flower colors.
Think of Delilah as referring to a design concept, rather than a botanical classification. This series takes the incredible diversity of dahlias and focuses in on cultivars tailored specifically for today’s compact gardens and container plantings.
The Takeaway on Delilah Dahlias
While not a separate dahlia species, the Delilah series offers an exceptional array of colorful, compact, floriferous dahlia cultivars.
If you’re seeking petite, flamboyant dahlias perfect for container gardens or garden beds, be sure to explore the versatile Delilah collection. Let these vivid blooms paint your landscape in rich dahlia hues from mid-summer into fall frost!
Are Dahlias Perennials or Annuals?
Dahlias are tender perennials in their native warm climate of Mexico. In the United States, they are considered perennials in hardiness Zones 8 and higher. See the USDA hardiness zone page.
However, in colder regions (Zones 7 and lower), dahlias are treated as annuals. That said, some gardeners have had luck keeping the dahlias in the ground in Zones 6 and 7.
Luckily, cold-weather gardeners can also just dig up the tubers after the first fall frost and store them in the garage until spring. Learn how to dig up dahlias in the guide below. Read Next
Dahlias thrive in 6 to 8 hours of direct sun, especially morning sunlight, and they benefit from protection from wind. Consider their size at maturity when planting. They grow best in rich, well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Amend heavy clay soil with aged manure or compost to lighten and loosen the soil texture for better drainage.
Planting, Growing, and Caring for Dahlias
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Dahlias are breathtakingly gorgeous flowers that come in every color of the rainbow. The tubers are planted in late spring. Learn more about planting, growing, and caring for dazzling dahlia flowers.
Picking a favorite dahlia is like going through a button box! The flowers can range in size from petite 2-inch lollipop-style pompoms to giant 15-inch “dinner plates.” Most varieties grow 4 to 5 feet tall. Dahlias grow in a wide range of beautiful colors, including white, yellow, orange, pink, dark pink, red, dark red, lavender, purple and black, light blend, bronze, flame, dark blend, variegated and bicolor!
Dahlia is a genus of tuberous plants that are members of the Asteraceae family. The tubers are planted in the ground in late spring (around the month of May) and generally flower from July to the first autumn frosts. Dahlias are perfect for a border garden and make lovely cut flowers. Growing vegetables? Put a row of dahlias on the border, where they will not shade your edibles.
Is A Delilah A Flower? – The Plant Enthusiast
FAQ
What does the flower delilah mean?
Dahlias symbolize elegance, creativity, positivity, and growth. It also represents inner strength, likely due to the plant’s ability to tolerate harsh conditions. Other general meanings associated with the dahlia is gracefulness, standing out in a crowd, and embracing positive changes.
Is there a plant called Delilah?
Fall in love with Dahlia ‘Miss Delilah’, just like Samson did many moons ago. Her eye-catching, romantic fondant-pink blooms will have you swooning at first sight, with shades of shell pink on her outer petals, gently suffused with white, and delicate undertones of soft yellow to highly the centre.
Is Delia a flower name?
‘Delia’ is a compact, cushion-forming, evergreen perennial with dense rosettes of tiny, linear to ovate, lime-encrusted, grey-green leaves and short, erect stems bearing cup-shaped, deep pink flowers in spring.
Do dahlias come back every year?
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Perennial Nature:Dahlias are perennials, meaning they live for more than two years, and their tubers (underground stems) can produce new growth each year.
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Climate Considerations:Dahlias are sensitive to freezing temperatures, so in colder climates, their tubers need to be dug up and stored indoors during the winter to prevent them from freezing.
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Overwintering in Warmer Climates:In warmer climates (USDA hardiness zones 8 and above), dahlias can often overwinter in the ground without needing to be dug up.
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Overwintering in Colder Climates:In colder climates (below USDA hardiness zone 8), you’ll need to dig up the tubers after the first frost, clean them, and store them in a cool, dry place until spring, when you can replant them.
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Digging and Storage:
- Digging: After the first frost, gently dig up the dahlia tubers, being careful not to damage them.
- Cleaning: Remove any excess soil and let the tubers dry for a few days.
- Storage: Store the tubers in a cool, dark, and dry place, such as a basement or garage.
- Digging: After the first frost, gently dig up the dahlia tubers, being careful not to damage them.
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Replanting:In the spring, once the danger of frost has passed, you can replant the dahlia tubers in well-drained soil that gets plenty of sunlight.
Are Delilah dahlias perennials?
All dahlias belong to the genus Dahlia, which contains around 40 species and over 20,000 cultivars. They are herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. The Delilah dahlias are a series of cultivars carefully developed by a company called Dümmen Orange.
What is a Delilah flower?
The Delilah flower is known for its captivating beauty, with its soft petals, vibrant colors, and sweet fragrance. This flower can be used in various floral arrangements, such as bouquets, wreaths, and centerpieces, and it can complement different styles, from romantic and classic to modern and minimalist.
What colors do Delilah dahlias come in?
As a brand, Delilah offers dahlias in a wide color palette of vivid shades like pink, purple, red, orange, yellow, white and bicolor blends. Though not a separate dahlia species, Delilah cultivars do have some signature features that set them apart in the world of dahlias Plant Size
Are Delilah dahlias disease resistant?
Disease Resistance The Delilah series emphasizes disease resistance, making them low maintenance for home gardeners. Here are a few of the most popular varieties within the Delilah dahlia lineup: Delilah Velvet – A mustard and black single dahlia with unique velvety petals.
Are dahlias edible?
3. Dahlias are considered by many professional landscapers and gardener as one of the most attractive and most requested flowers. 4. The flower heads on dahlias can grow to be 1ft. in diameter! 5. The Dahlia is named after the Swedish 18th century botanist Anders Dahl, who originally declared the flower a vegetable, as the tubers are edible.
Are dahlias a flower?
As members of the family Asteraceae, dahlias have composite flower heads called capitula that are composed of multiple florets arranged in a central disc with surrounding petal-like rays. Each floret is a flower in its own right.