Dahlia Form
& Size Description

Bloom Type

AN - ANEMONE - One or more rows of ray florets surround a center of elongated tubular discflorets.

BA - BALL - Blooms are ball shaped with uniform florets, involute for most of their length, and fully involute for more than half their length.

C - STRAIGHT CACTUS - Ray florets are narrow at the base, straight, uniform in length and reflex toward the stem, radiating uniformly in all directions from the center.

CO - COLLARETTE - A bloom will have a single row of flat or slightly cupped ray florets arranged in a flat plane, the ray florets will uniformly overlap, preferable in the same direction.

FD - FORMAL DECORATIVE -Ray florets are generally flat, broad, and smooth in a regular arrangement.

IC - INCURVED CACTUS - Ray florets are pointed, uniform in length; they uniformly curve toward the fact of the bloom.

ID - INFORMAL DECORATIVE - Ray florets are twisted, curled, or wavy, and of uniform size in irregular arrangement.

LC - LACINIATED - Ray florets are split at the tip.

MB - MINIATURE BALL - Except for size, miniature ball and ball dahlias possess the same form features.

MS - MIGNON SINGLE - Mignon single dahlias possess the same formation as single dahlias except they have round ray floret tips.

NO - NOVELTY OPEN (Disc) CENTER - Dahlias with characteristics distinct and different from the present classifications. The center should be open.

NX - NOVELTY FULLY DOUBLE - Dahlias with characteristics distinct and different from the present classifications are classified as novelty dahlias. the center should be closed.

OT - ORCHETTE - Blooms embody the involute characteristics of the orchid dahlia form and the petaloid characteristics of the collarette form.

O - ORCHID -A single row of uniform, evenly spaced ray florets arranged in a flat plane surround the disc flowers.

P - POMPON - Except for size, they are similar to the ball description.

PE - PEONY FLOWERING - Two or more rows of ray florets surround the disc flowers. Ray florets adjacent to the disc flowers may be smaller, twisted, and/or curled.

S - SINGLE - The bloom has a single row of flat or slightly cupped ray florets arranged in a flat plane.

SC - SEMI-CACTUS - Ray florets are broad at the base, straight or incurved, and reflex toward the stem in a regular and uniform arrangement.

ST - STELLAR - Ray florets break gradually from immature florets to fully developed outer ray florets. The outer florets should be narrow and involute with a slight recurve to the stem.

WL - WATERLILY - The bloom should be fully double and symmetrical; the side view should be flat to saucer-shaped in arrangement, and the layer of florets should be open faced to give a delicate appearance. the center should be closed and dome-shaped.

Size Classification of Dahlias

Color Abbreviations

• BI - Bicolor

• BR - Bronze

• DB - Dark Blend

• DP - Dark Pink

• DR - Dark Red

• FL - Flame

• L - Lavender

• LB - Light blend

• OR - Orange

• PK - Pink

• PR - Purple

• R - Red

• V - Variegated

• W - White

• Y - Yellow

Please note that all heights given are as they grow in my garden. This can vary greatly due to sun conditions, etc.