# Garden Dahlia (*Dahlia pinnata*)

Garden Dahlias are bright and colorful flowers that bloom in many shapes and sizes. They are perfect for gardens and can make any space look cheerful and beautiful!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Gardens

![Garden Dahlia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%252C00_0904_Dahlia_%C3%97_pinnata.jpg&width=800)

Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%252C00_0904_Dahlia_%C3%97_pinnata.jpg)

## Appearance

The Garden Dahlia has vibrant, layered petals that form intricate starbursts or pompom shapes, available in nearly every color imaginable except true blue. Its sturdy green stems hold these showy blooms high above deeply lobed leaves, making them a stunning garden focal point.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Dahlia

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Aztecs grew dahlias not just for beauty, but also for food!
- Dahlias don't naturally grow blue flowers, which is super rare!
- There are over 42,000 different kinds of dahlias in the world!
- Wow, some dahlia flowers can be bigger than a dinner plate!

## Special abilities

- **Energy Bank Tubers:** Garden Dahlias store energy in underground potato-like tubers, which helps them regrow vigorously each spring after winter.
- **Pollinator Beacon:** Its bright, diverse flowers act as a visual magnet, attracting many different insects to help spread its pollen for reproduction.
- **Genetic Rainbow:** The Garden Dahlia has a complex genetic makeup, allowing for an incredible array of flower shapes, sizes, and colors.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 60-120 cm
- **Spread:** 30-90 cm
- **Flower Size:** 5-30 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to fall
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** [Monarch Butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — feeds on nectar from flowers
- **Eaten by:** Green Peach Aphid (*Myzus persicae*) — feeds on plant sap

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult before picking flowers in a garden.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Garden Dahlia?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Garden Dahlia?

60-120 cm

### How wide does Garden Dahlia spread?

30-90 cm

### How big are the flowers on Garden Dahlia?

5-30 cm

### When does Garden Dahlia bloom?

Summer to fall

### Is Garden Dahlia edible?

Yes

### Is Garden Dahlia toxic?

Mild

### What is Garden Dahlia's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Garden Dahlia: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-dahlia)