Dahlia Source

    Preview: Dahlia Source is in early development. Grower listings are samples and photos are illustrative.

    Illustrative dahlia photo

    Illustrative photos, not of Café au Lait. Cultivar-accurate photos are coming.

    Café au Lait

    Informal Decorative6–10" bloomsBlush & Cream

    The wedding dahlia. Café au Lait opens huge informal decorative blooms in blush, cream and champagne, and the color drifts from flower to flower, so no two stems are quite alike. Introduced by the Dutch firm Fa. D. Bruidegom in 1967, it grew quietly for decades before flower farmers and florists turned it into one of the most sought-after dahlias anywhere.

    Specifications

    Bloom Form
    Informal Decorative
    Bloom Size
    6–10"
    Color
    Blush and cream shading toward champagne and peach; no two blooms quite match
    Height
    30–48"
    Bloom Season
    Late season
    Hybridizer
    Fa. D. Bruidegom
    Introduced
    1967
    Origin
    Netherlands
    Find Where to Buy

    Growing Notes

    Plants reach 30–48 inches with blooms 6–10 inches across, so stake at planting, before the heads get heavy after rain. Growers report a productive plant with long, strong stems. Pinch the center tip when plants are 8–12 inches tall to encourage branching. Expect the color to vary between blooms — plant extra if you need an exact match for an event. In cold zones, lift and store the tubers after frost.

    Where to Buy

    Checking stock at 76 nurseries...

    Sources: Dahlia Almanac. Specs no source confirms are left out rather than guessed.

    Related Varieties

    Labyrinth

    Informal DecorativeMedium (B)

    Ferncliff Illusion

    Informal Decorative8–10" blooms

    Thomas Edison

    Formal DecorativeMedium (B)