What's a Dahlia Tuber? A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Dahlias

If you’ve ever found yourself drooling over gorgeous dahlia photos online but wondering:

“I’d LOVE to grow dahlias… but aren’t they really hard?”

You’re not alone.

This is one of the most common questions I hear from new gardeners who are thinking about growing dahlias for the first time.

And my answer is, emphatically, no.

I would categorize dahlias as an intermediate-level plant to grow. If you have even 1–2 years of gardening experience, you can absolutely grow dahlias successfully. If you’ve ever grown something from seed or had any kind of vegetable garden, dahlias are well within your reach.

In fact, with the right help and guidance, even a total beginner can grow dahlias. I have a good friend who described herself as someone who “kills everything” who grew gorgeous dahlias last summer.

So what makes people feel intimidated?

Usually, it’s this:

Dahlias are grown from tubers.

So… What's a Dahlia Tuber?

A dahlia tuber is a storage root that contains everything the plant needs to grow and bloom throughout the season.

It’s a bit like a potato. These weird-looking brown things store the energy needed to produce an entire plant and months of flowers.

You can think of tubers as being somewhat similar to bulbs, with one key difference:

• Bulbs (like tulips and daffodils) are typically planted in fall

• Dahlia tubers are planted in spring

  
  

Each dahlia tuber has three main parts:

• The body – stores nutrients and energy

• The neck – connects the body to the crown

• The eye – where the new shoot will sprout in spring

  
  

The eye is the growing point that will eventually develop into your dahlia plant.

You can check out this short video to see the parts of a dahlia tuber: Parts of a Dahlia Tuber

The “Tomato Rule” for Growing Dahlias

Here’s something I like to call the Tomato Rule.

We grow and care for dahlia plants very similarly to tomato plants.

They need:

• Full sun

• Regular watering

• Reasonable nutrition

• Strong support

  
  

Just like tomatoes.

And chances are, you’ve grown a tomato plant before, right? Or you know someone who has?

If you can grow tomatoes, you can grow dahlias.

Growing dahlias might feel intimidating at first, but understanding what a tuber is and how it works is the first step toward a successful season of blooms.

In your next step, you’ll want to learn when, where, and how to plant your dahlia tubers for the best results.

Want Help Getting Started?

If you’re new to dahlias and want a simple place to begin, you can download my free 5-page guide to growing dahlias here:

Sign up for the Guide

Or, if you’re ready to start planning your garden for spring, you can browse the dahlia tubers currently available here:

Shop Dahlia Tubers