Edible Dahlias
(Page 2 of 3)
August/September 2009
By William Woys Weaver
There was a great deal of competition to produce the most beautiful flowers, and by the 1840s, several lavishly illustrated books on dahlias added to the general craze for the novelty. The introduction of brilliant red D. juarezii in 1872, sent to Holland from Mexico, led to another breeding frenzy, and all the dahlia hybrids that we know today descended from the crosses made with this variety in the 1870s. In spite of that, only about five original hybrids survive from the 1800s: ‘Kaiser Wilhelm’ (1893), ‘Nellie Broomhead’ (1897), ‘Tommy Keith’ (1892), ‘Union Jack’ (1882), and ‘White Aster’ (1879). All the other thousands of dahlias shown in garden books of the period are now extinct. This is where I decided to step into the picture.
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Several years ago, I offered an “edible tuber” dahlia through Seed Savers Exchange. The fact that you could eat the yam-size tubers intrigued me. It made me wonder why other dahlia tubers couldn’t be eaten as well. It turns out I was only relearning what the native peoples of southern Mexico had known for centuries.
Bringing Back Heirloom Dahlias
Soon after that, I was bagging up dahlias in my greenhouse — getting them sorted and stored for winter — when I noticed that certain dahlias produced an abundance of tubers, while others did not. It soon became clear that this trait was most prevalent among the heirlooms, probably because they are genetically closer to the original wild species from which they were created. Some of the tubers were even fragrant, so I began tasting them by paring off the skin — the range of flavors was quite a revelation. It occurred to me that by back-breeding the heirlooms (breeding them against themselves in isolation), I might be able to recreate (in appearance) some of the extinct dahlias from the 19th century, and come up with tasty tubers as well. The following spring, I launched my plan.
I am three years into this experiment and I have created about 48 varieties that I consider to be good look-alikes of the extinct heirlooms. Once I am certain those plants are fixed in their traits, I will move on to tuber improvement by crossing the best-tasting ones with each other. This should be fairly easy to do because dahlias are not difficult to pollinate.
How to Grow Dahlias
In the fall, dahlias will produce an abundance of seed pods. They must be dry and brittle before harvesting. It doesn’t matter if they have been frosted — frost doesn’t kill the seeds. Select the plumpest pods, as they will contain the most seeds. In January, start the seeds in flats, covering them lightly with potting soil. The potting soil should be warm and slightly moist. Once the seeds germinate and develop leaves (this may take three to four weeks), transplant them into individual pots. Let them develop into 6- to 8-inch plants before setting them out in the garden once the threat of frost has passed. Plant them at least 2 (preferably 3) feet apart. Always stake dahlias — they’re easily damaged.
