We have often written about growing dahlias in the glacial soils of the Northeast, a region where the weather refuses to follow a single script—cool mornings, sudden drought, and, in recent seasons, rising heat. Yet many of you garden in places where summer is more certain, stepping in at full strength: sharp sun, sustained heat, and evenings that stay warm long past the final birdcall.
Growing dahlias in these climates requires its own poetry. It is a different rhythm, a different set of promises — and it begins long before the first tuber touches the soil. In hotter regions, success starts upfront, at the moment of choosing the right dahlia to bring home.
The Romance of Selection: Beginning Where the Heat Begins
Not all dahlias greet heat with grace. Some varieties wilt into their midday shadows; others rise to the challenge with vigor — holding color, keeping posture, unfolding each petal as though heat were merely a lover leaning in too close.
The Georgia Dahlia Society understood this years ago, assembling its classic list of dahlias known to perform well under Southern sun. Though written in an earlier era, that list remains a touchstone for warm-climate gardeners — a reminder that the right variety can turn a hot garden from struggle into spectacle.
And now, with another decade of field observation and wider grower experience, we can add to that tradition. Several dahlias in our own collection at Bear Creek Farm consistently show an affinity for the heat — enduring, blooming, and in many cases thriving when temperatures climb.
A Contemporary Companion to the Georgia List: Dahlias that Shine in the Heat
In addition to the Georgia Society’s time-tested selections, we’ve gathered a group of cultivars — all available in our tuber sale — that have shown notable performance in hotter climates. Some are bold, dramatic forms; others are smaller or more restrained. All share a certain resilience, a willingness to meet the sun without shrinking away.
Bear Creek Farm’s heat-tolerant selections include:
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Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Babylon Bronze Ferncliff Spice Otto’s Thrill Belle of Barmera Gitts Attention Peaches-N-Cream Bracken Palomino Hamari Gold Penhill Dark Monarch Bumble Rumble Islander Pink Suffusion Camano Sitka Kelvin Floodlight Ryecroft Jan Camano Zoe Lady Darlene Show’N’Tell Cornel Lakeview Peach Fuzz Spartacus Cornel Bronze Lavender Perfection Tartan Ferncliff Copper Maarn Thomas A. Edison Mingus Alex Vassio Meggos Orange Globe White Perfection Zorro
These dahlias have earned their place not through myth but through the lived experience of gardeners from Georgia to Texas to Southern California — places where summer heat presses down like a warm hand across the land.
They hold their color. They continue to set buds. They open even when the nights never truly cool. They are more likely to be spirited companions of hot gardens.
Planting for Heat: Setting the Stage for Success
Choosing wisely is the beginning — but how you plant determines how the rest of the season unfolds.
1. Let the Soil Breathe and Drain
In hot climates, dahlias need light, loose soil even more than in the Northeast. Heavy soils trap heat and moisture, turning root zones into a sauna. Instead, amend generously with compost to create conditions where roots can move, stretch, and stay cool.
2. Mulch as Protection, Not Decoration
Mulch moderates soil temperature and slows evaporation — an essential shield in hotter regions. A layer of straw or shredded leaves keeps the ground from heating into the danger zone, preserving both moisture and root vitality.
3. Water Deeply, Not Endlessly
Hot climates tempt us to water constantly, but dahlias prefer rhythm over excess. Water deeply and allow the soil to dry slightly between cycles. Over-watering in heat can suffocate roots, while inconsistent watering can split stems and distort blooms.
4. Embrace Afternoon Shade
Even the most heat-tolerant dahlias benefit from relief during the sharpest hours of the day. A bit of afternoon shade — a lacy tree canopy, the shadow of a fence, even strategic placement near taller crops — can make the difference between exhaustion and abundance.
5. Feed Lightly but Consistently
Heat accelerates plant metabolism. Instead of heavy, infrequent feeding, opt for smaller doses spread across the season — gentler, steadier nourishment.
Blooming in the Heat: Patience, Rhythm, Reward
Dahlias in hotter climates sometimes take longer to show their full beauty. They may pause during the peak of summer, gathering strength rather than fighting temperatures they cannot control. Trust this rhythm. When late summer begins its slow softening and the nights regain a whisper of coolness, these dahlias surge — vigorous, abundant, triumphant.
The Georgia Dahlia Society knew this truth. And now, with our own expanded list, warm-climate gardeners can choose confidently: with varieties that don’t merely endure heat, but carry their beauty through it.
The Garden That Glows Hotter
To grow dahlias in heat is to accept a different cadence — one filled with long afternoons, steady care, and the pleasure of watching flowers rise despite the sun’s insistence.
When you choose the right varieties and prepare the garden with intention, heat becomes not an adversary but an element that sharpens the colors, strengthens the stems, and fills late summer with richness.
In the hottest landscapes, there is a specific kind of beauty — bold, radiant, sun-struck — and the dahlias that flourish there echo that splendor. They don’t shy away from the heat. They bloom through it.