08/11/2026
Dahlias have fully arrived, including some of the massive dinner plate varieties. So have our zinnias.
These two types of flowers tell very different stories.
Once upon a time, there were only a few varieties of dahlias, in Central and South America. They were grown for their edible tubers, not their flowers.
Hybridization and the quest for newness means that today there over 57,000 registered cultivars, most grown for their profusion of petals.
We went all in on them when we first bought the farm. But last year, I realized that pollinators didn’t love them — except for the ones that were open-faced (called “collerettes”), they couldn’t reach the pollen.
This is functional diversity. Or rather, a lack thereof. Where our tinkering and hybridization has led to the flowers contributing less to a functional, healthy ecosystem.
I cried when I figured it out. Then, shifted gears. Yes, we’d still grow dahlias — but we wouldn’t add to our collection. And we would grow plenty of flowers around our dahlias that attract pollinators — like the zinnia shown in one of the photos with a sleepy bee on it.
This fall, we’ll divide our dahlia tubers and prepare for a tuber sale. But we’ll encourage buyers to grow them in small patches or rows tucked between other rows of blooms.
And, slowly, we’ll also increase the number of native, pollinator-Living plants we grow — not only flowers, but vegetables, fruits, bushes, trees…
These little things matter. It all matters.
Our dahlias are no less gorgeous for their functional diversity ineffectiveness. But they do tell a different story.
Look at the photos — can you tell just by looking at them which ones will attract pollinators? (Hint: See if the center is exposed or hidden.)
