Brown Sugar

Fleur Farm credits Brown Sugar to Dutch flower grower Henk van Eeuwijk, though the introduction year has slipped out of easy reach, with guesses reaching back decades. The market does not care about the paperwork. Bloom Floral Farm says every stem is fought over in the fall and that they cannot cut enough for wholesale, which is the purest demand signal a cut flower gets. Rust and copper tones own autumn design work now, and a ball that ships well in that color is money. Tubers remain widely stocked by the big bulb houses, so the scramble is for stems, not stock.

Brown Sugar is a ball dahlia in the 3 to 4 inch range with the strong stems and steady output the form is known for; Triple Wren reports good production. Height claims vary, from 30 to 36 inches at Triple Wren to 44 at Fleur Farm, so stake for the taller figure and be pleasantly surprised. The copper color deepens as fall arrives and cooler nights set in, which is exactly when demand peaks. Balls ship and hold better than nearly any other form, so this is a wholesale-friendly crop. Jomanda runs more red-orange and is easier to buy in bulk; Brown Sugar holds the browner, sugar-rust end of the spectrum.