DAHLIA
FORMS

Dahlias are truly unique in the flower world for their incredible variety of forms, each showcasing a different shape, petal arrangement, and texture. From delicate, pom-pom-like blooms to large, sprawling blossoms, these diverse forms offer something for every taste and garden style. This variety makes dahlias endlessly captivating to collectors and gardeners alike, with each form bringing its own charm and visual impact to floral displays, bouquets, and landscapes. The following list highlights the distinct forms of dahlias, each one offering a unique take on this exceptional flower.

  • Anemone

    Dense cluster of tubular petaloids (pincushion) at its center, surrounded by a single or double row of flat ray petals.

  • Ball

    Perfectly round, fully double blooms with tightly arranged petals in a spiral patter. Miniature ball offers the same spherical shape but in smaller, compact sizes.

  • Cactus

    Spiky, fully double blooms with long, narrow petals that roll back or twist. Semi-cactus are partly rolled, and incurved cactus petals curve inward toward the center.

  • Collarette

    Open-centered bloom with a single row of flat ray petals and a distinctive collar of smaller, often contrasting, petaloids surrounding the center disc.

  • Formal Decorative

    Fully double, symmetrical blooms with broad, smooth petals that uniformly curve toward the center.

  • Informal Decorative

    Fully double blooms with loosely arranged petals that twist or curl in varying directions.

  • Lacinated

    Fully double blooms with deeply split or fringed petal tips, giving the flower a finely ruffled, feathered appearance.

  • Novelty

    Unusual petal shapes, arrangements, or color patterns that do not fit into traditional dahlia categories.

  • Orchid

    Single row of long, tubular ray petals that flare outward around an open center. The orchette form adds a second, smaller row of petaloids beneath the main petals.

  • Peony

    Fully double blooms with broad, overlapping petals that create a dense, rounded shape similar to traditional peony flowers.

  • Pom Pon

    Perfectly round, fully double blooms with tightly arranged, slightly cupped petals, forming a small, globe-like shape.

  • Single

    Single row of flat ray petals surrounding a prominent central disc. The mignon single form has smaller, compact blooms.

  • Stellar

    Star-shaped blooms, with elongated, pointed petals that radiate outward from a central disc.

  • Waterlily

    Flat, wide blooms with broad petals that are loosely arranged, resembling the graceful, open shape of waterlily flowers.