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From Seed to Surprise: Our First Steps in Dahlia Breeding at Flaming Acres Dahlias

Updated: Aug 24

In the fall of 2024, after a full season of growing over 300 different dahlia varieties, we carefully harvested seeds from our fields — tiny, papery treasures that held the promise of something entirely new. Unlike dahlia tubers, which are genetic copies of their mother plant, dahlia seeds are the product of cross-pollination. This means every single one holds a mystery: new colors, shapes, and sizes waiting to be revealed.

Starting in the Living Room

In March of 2025, we tucked about 100 of these seeds into seed-starting trays in our living room, near a large, sunny window. It was a joy to watch them sprout — each little green shoot carrying the potential of a variety the world had never seen before. By May, they were strong enough to move into the nursery, where we let them “harden off” for a few weeks before planting them in the garden on the first of June.

The First Blooms

By late July, the first blossoms began to appear — each one a delightful surprise. From our 2025 seedlings, we now have six distinct blooms (many more yet to come), most of them mignon dwarf varieties— a size and type prized for being the easiest to harvest seeds from. Several have charming double blooms, and one has multiple layers of petals, giving them a full, lush look.

What makes them most special are their wonderful colors — unexpected combinations born from the cross-pollination of our 300 varieties last year. Some are bright and sunny, others are deep and romantic, and each one is a one-of-a-kind creation. These are not just flowers; they are the first chapter in our journey to breed unique Flaming Acres dahlias.

And yes — we have the photos to prove it! Seeing these six blooms is like meeting new friends for the first time, each with its own personality and charm.

Why Dahlia Seeds Are So Special

Dahlias have a remarkable genetic makeup — they are octoploids, meaning they carry eight complete sets of chromosomes. This complexity gives them an extraordinary capacity for variation in color, size, and form.

It’s this genetic diversity that allows breeders to create so many unique and beautiful blooms. There are now over 57,000 registered cultivars worldwide, and the American Dahlia Society alone lists more than 10,000 registered cultivars in its Composite Listing database.

When you grow from tubers, the resulting plant is an exact genetic match to the mother plant. But when you grow from seeds, the genetic mix from cross-pollination makes it almost impossible to predict what the plant will look like. This unpredictability is exactly what makes seed-growing so thrilling — you may be the very first person in the world to see that flower’s unique form and color.

The Path to a Registered Variety

At Flaming Acres Dahlias, we are now on our way to breeding our own unique varieties to share with the world. But getting a new dahlia officially recognized is no small task. It can take several years to evaluate a seedling’s performance, and the variety must be shown in competition and judged before it can be registered with the American Dahlia Society. Only after proving its merits can it earn a place among the official ranks.

Breeding as Both Art and Science

Dahlia breeding has a rich history, with methods refined over generations. Some breeders carefully control pollination by hand, using nets or bags to prevent stray pollen from visiting blooms. They select parent plants with specific traits in hopes of producing a flower that matches their vision. But no matter how much control is applied, the element of surprise never fully disappears — and for many breeders, that’s the best part.

Looking Ahead

For us, this first season of growing from our own harvested seed marks the beginning of an exciting chapter. We can’t wait to see which seedlings stand out, which ones return next year for further evaluation, and — someday — which might bear the name Flaming Acres in the dahlia world.

Because while tubers give you the comfort of knowing exactly what you’ll get, seeds give you the thrill of the unknown — and the joy of seeing a flower bloom for the very first time in history.

Debra Flaming

 

Sources & Further Reading

Dahlia Society of Victoria – Dahlia Genetics → https://dahliasocietyofvictoria.org.au/Dahlia-Genetics

Wikipedia – Dahlia (Historical & cultivar count) → https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahlia

American Dahlia Society – Composite Listing Reference → https://www.facebook.com/groups/265949743891471/posts/1670242996795465/

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