Crichton Honey

Crichton Honey dates to 1976, and farms still call it an oldie but goodie because it sells like a new release. The draw is the color, a warm apricot bronze that flatters every bouquet it touches, though one farm describes its stock as cream to pale pink, a minority read worth knowing about before you buy. Triple Wren groups it with Golden Scepter and Hamari Gold among the golden and honey market dahlias. Crichton Honey is the ball of that group, so choose it for round, durable heads and look to the others when you want the same tones in a different form. Nobody has put a name to the breeder, which is its own small mystery for a variety this persistent. DahliaAddict listed 72 suppliers with 55 sold out at last check.

An easy keeper. Floret reports high productivity when pinched early, with long strong stems and about five days of vase life. Triple Wren calls it an excellent re-bloomer that keeps throwing stems until frost. The Cincinnati Dahlia Society notes small tubers and good laterals, so do not panic at modest clumps come digging time. Height is disputed. Cincinnati and Goldenrod list 2.5 feet while Triple Wren grows it 36 to 48 inches, so expect somewhere in that band depending on your conditions. Blooms run 3 to 4 inches, classed as a ball under Cincinnati code 6011, though some farms market it as a miniature. It suits market growers and beginners alike, a low-drama dahlia that earns its row every season.