Wine Eyed Jill

Wine Eyed Jill arrived in 2013, but the breeder credit is murky. Listings render the hybridizer as Vleut or as Utrecht, D.V., inconsistently across sellers, and our sources could not settle it, so the credit stays open. The flower itself is not confused about anything. The pink and wine combination photographs beautifully, and the miniature size fits modern, airy design work, which is why it sells out; both Divergent Dahlias and Good Life Dahlias have shown it sold out. A yellow sport called Double Jill circulates through Divergent Dahlias, so the family is growing. Expect to hunt for it in the early spring tuber sales and to move quickly when stock appears, because it rarely lingers.

Wine Eyed Jill is a miniature formal decorative, ADS class 4010, with blooms in the M class at up to 4 inches. Good Life Dahlias notes the stems are wiry and benefit from staking, which is the one documented management point; small flowers on thin stems whip around in wind. No height, vase life, or productivity figures are on record in our sources, so treat the first season as a trial and take notes. Harvest miniatures nearly fully open, pinch at 8 to 12 inches, and lift tubers in cold zones. The draw is the eye, a wine dark center that gives arrangements a focal point at small scale. It suits designers who build detailed, close up work like bud vases, boutonnieres, and bridal flowers, where a 4 inch flower with a built in accent earns its stem.