Dark and Moody Dahlias
Every arranger eventually wants the dark flower, the one that gives a bouquet weight and shadow. Dahlias do this corner better than almost anything, from berry purples to a red so deep it reads black.
These photograph darker than they look in the hand, so a little goes a long way in a vase. Paired with blush or peach, one dark bloom does all the work.
- No. 1
Ivanetti
Ball BA · Cor Geerlings
A deep berry-purple ball, the florist staple for moody work, loaded with bloom all season on long strong stems with a vase life up to a week per Fleur Farm. The easiest entry into the dark palette.
Who carries it - No. 2
Hollyhill Black Beauty
Informal Decorative BB
Near-black red, one of the darkest dahlias grown and a 2021 Stanley Johnson Medal co-winner. Bear Creek stocks it by popular demand. This is the flower people mean when they ask for a black dahlia.
Who carries it - No. 3
Verrone's Obsidian
Orchid · Verrone
A black-red orchid form with a silver reverse, the cult pick for avant-garde design. The open, star-shaped bloom is unlike any other dark flower on this list.
Who carries it - No. 4
Jowey Mirella
Ball · Jozef Weyts
A merlot-burgundy ball from the Jowey line, described as one of the top-selling burgundy dahlias and a wedding-work staple. Tidy, dependable, richly colored.
Who carries it - No. 5
Diva
Formal Decorative BB · Swan Island Dahlias
A burgundy-plum with an iridescent purple cast and huge heads, which Heirloom Soul calls hyper-productive in both blooms and tubers. Drama and output in one plant.
Who carries it