13 Show-Stopping Dahlias For Your Summer Garden, Recommended By Our Professional Gardener

Dahlias are something of an obsession with some gardeners, despite their somewhat labor-intensive care regimen. But with so many varieties available in a dizzying assortment of colors and forms, it's difficult to resist their allure. As a professional gardener, I'm fortunate to be able to admire these late summer bloomers in many gardens, and I've gathered some of my favorites together in this list.

Dahlias are only cold hardy in USDA Zones 8 through 10, so they're usually grown as annuals. They're somewhat expensive to procure, so many gardeners choose to lift the tubers in autumn after the first frost and store them for the winter to replant in spring. In some colder growing zones, if you plant them deep enough, gardeners have found their dahlias can be left in the ground all year. I haven't yet tried that in my Zone 6a garden, but I've successfully stored them over the winter in a brown paper bag with peat moss. Make sure they're completely dry before storing so the tubers don't rot.

Dahlias require full sun and regular watering to stay vibrant, and, with tall stems and huge flower heads on some varieties (like the aptly-named "dinnerplate" dahlias), these stately flowers often need support with stakes or twine. I urge you to explore their many forms and varieties, like round pompon dahlias, spiky cactus dahlias, and smaller (but every bit as lovely) border dahlias. They need to be planted by mid spring, and be sure to pinch back the early leaf growth to encourage blooms. Some dahlia lovers (myself included!) take advantage of late spring sales to add to their dahlia collections.

This award-winning pink heirloom dahlia is one of my favorites. 'Otto's Thrill' is a classic "dinnerplate" dahlia, with large fluffy blooms stuffed with petals that may get up to 10 inches across! They're also very tall, up to 4 feet, and with these large flower heads, they may need support or staking. Just one of these massive flowers makes a statement in a vase, so you can imagine the sight of multiple pastel pink blooms in your garden. Even if you're not a fan of pink, 'Otto's Thrill' just might win you over.

The color of this pompon dahlia is unusual and a bit hard to pin down. Is it copper? Is it red? Is it orange? It seems to be all three, but the closest I can come to describing it is a dusky reddish-orange with copper highlights. 'Copper Boy' is a very eye-catching dahlia for the summer garden, with its spherical flower heads and symmetrical petals in vivid warm copper shades, and looks lovely as part of almost any color palette, but I particularly love them next to flowers in shades of yellow or blue.

With a name like 'Diva' you know it has to be a showstopper! This vivid magenta dahlia has large flower heads with excellent fullness and symmetrical form, and blooms on tall, vigorous plants. Sometimes its color is slightly darker, more of a plum purple, but always vibrant and gorgeous; and even if magenta was the Color of the Year in 2023, its beauty in flower garden palettes is undeniable. 'Diva' dahlias are very long-blooming in the garden and also make excellent cut flowers for vases or bouquets.

The 'Gallery' series of dahlias are considered "border dahlias". They're compact, gorgeous dahlias perfect for growing in containers or at the front of the border, and their mature height is usually around 2 feet tall, so they don't require staking. I love this art-inspired series for its vivid colors, but 'Art Deco,' with its brilliant shades of salmon pink, apricot, and dusky red, is one of my favorites. Also check out 'Cezanne' (bright yellow), 'Art Nouveau' (hot pink), and 'Monet' (white with lilac tips and yellow shaded center).

True to its heroic name, 'Great Hercules' has a powerful presence in the garden. Reaching a height of 44 inches, this golden orange showstopper has gorgeous full petals that come to a point on large rounded heads. This dahlia looks beautiful with other warm colors, or alongside cooler palettes including blue, purple, and pink. Try it with tall garden phlox in magenta or lavender, near deep red knockout roses, or near your blue-flowering caryopteris shrubs for a stunning color show.

Cactus dahlias, also known as spider dahlias, have spiky tubular petals that add great texture to the summer garden. 'Star's Favourite is a striking, two-toned beauty that is somehow both delicate and dramatic. The romantic rosy pink and white petals have a sort of ombre effect, with the pale-pink tipped white center petals surrounding by gradually pinker petals. Plant this one with two-toned pink phlox (like 'Opalescence' or 'Miss Pepper') or pink and white asters and mums, and the effect is just gorgeous.

I recall when this dahlia was introduced a few years ago and it was an immediate sensation. With its huge flower heads and unusual coloring, 'Cafe au Lait' was immediately sought after by dahlia lovers. It is a creamy pale pink dahlia with hints of yellow and tan, making it reminiscent of its delicious coffee beverage namesake. It was even recommended as a perfect dahlia example of Pantone's 2025 Color of the Year, "Mocha Mousse," along with peachy-toned 'Creme de Cognac' and coppery-pink 'Brown Sugar' — also great choices for delicious color in the garden.

'Great Silence' dahlias are so pretty: warm candy pink with yellow center petals that radiate outwards with apricot hues on full, fluffy flower heads. These beauties grow up to 3 feet tall and look just wonderful in pink-themed gardens, but they could also be paired with yellow and orange sun-loving flowers like echinacea (try orange 'Cantalope' or 'Tiki Torch') or sneezeweed (like yellow 'Helenium autumnale') for a striking analogous color scheme.

This exquisite dahlia has beautiful form and substance, with large petals that have a unique two-tone color scheme: wine red on the outside and lavender pink on the inside. A real stunner in the garden, it's tall (32 to 36 inches), but with its relatively compact blooms (4 to 6 inches across), it doesn't normally need staking. 'Creme de Cassis' is widely available and becoming a popular favorite among dahlia lovers for its gorgeous and striking color.

Anemone dahlias are another form showcasing the fascinating diversity of dahlia cultivars. These daisy-like flowers often have color-streaked petals, and they look just gorgeous in the garden. The center stamens also attract pollinators, making them a great choice to increase your garden's biodiversity. 'Totally Tangerine' is a fabulous choice, with peachy-salmon petals touched with yellow and deep orange centers. The mid-sized 4 inch blooms are sturdy and look great with hot pink garden phlox (like 'Glamour Girl' or 'Watermelon Punch') and pink sedums (like 'Autumn Fire' and 'Brilliant').

'Purple Gem' dahlias are a popular cactus dahlia, and it's easy to see why: the glorious color! The flowers are of medium size, 4 to 6 inches across, and the stems grow about 3 feet high. I love cactus dahlias for an unusual shape in the summer garden, and this one also packs a punch with its bold color that is a vibrant mix of reddish purple and hot pink. Try mixing these with other dahlias in shades of pale yellow (like 'La Luna') or peach (try 'Sherwood Peach') for a warm, glowing palette.

I'm not always a huge fan of red in the garden, but deep, velvety reds look so dramatic against green foliage that I sometimes can't resist flowers of this color. The 'Dark Spirit' dahlia has dramatic dark red hues, looking almost black in certain light. Definitely a stunner in the garden, and standing tall at nearly 3 feet, this ball dahlia (not quite as round in shape as pompon dahlias) stands out in almost any color combination. I love it next to white or cream flowers, but also try it in autumnal palettes of orange, gold, and copper.