Totally Tangerine

Totally Tangerine came from Swan Island Dahlias, the Gitts family operation in Oregon, in 2008, an American introduction on a list dominated by Dutch ones. One stray caption renders the breeder as Swan River, which appears to be a simple error. Its reputation rests on punctuality. Floret's report that it blooms first and never stops made it a fixture in cut flower planning, and the color, tangerine over a rose pink reverse, slots into the citrus and sunset palettes that took over event work. Golden Hour Gardens has sold it out, but Swan Island still carries its own introduction, so supply is steadier than the cult varieties. It is the rare popular dahlia you can usually just buy when you want it.

Totally Tangerine grows to about 36 inches and stays compact; Floret notes it works in containers, which is rare praise in this series. Floret also reports it is reliably the first dahlia to bloom and keeps blooming all season, so it anchors the early weeks when nothing else has color. Blooms are 3 to 4 inch anemones, ADS class 8203, and vase life runs around five days when harvested about three quarters open, which is unusually good for an open centered form. Pinch at 8 to 12 inches, deadhead, and let the pollinators have what you do not cut. There are no documented vices in our sources. It suits beginning growers, container gardeners, and farms that need early stems, and it gives event designers an orange that arrives before the rest of the field wakes up.