2026 New Release Dahlias

We are delighted to share our 2026 new release dahlias with you!

Breeding new dahlia varieties known as 'cultivars' is a time consuming process. Common practice among dahlia breeders is to trial new cultivars for 3 seasons before naming and releasing them to the public. During this time MANY plants are discarded along the way before we can present to you those we have selected.

Over the past couple of years we have decided to move to a process of 4 years trial before releasing new varieties. We have made this decision in order to increase the quality of the dahlias we are releasing. During the trial period it is quite common to see deterioration.

Dahlia genetics can be unstable and unpredictable. Some dahlias can continue well for many years while other spontaneously deteriorate. We have found some dahlias have deteriorated in the 4th year after our release to the public. When this happens it is always disappointing. Trialing new dahlias for an additional year on the farm will enable us to ensure a higher standard in our new releases.

Continuing to grow our new releases for an additional year on the farm will also mean a larger initial release. This means we are able to offer a larger number of tubers for sale in the first year for more people to be able to access these lovely new cultivars.

Please note plant heights are approximate as they are affected by so many things within your own unique growing conditions such as soil, water, shade, wind, fertilizer, support and how often you cut the flowers. They are provided here as a guide only.

This year we have 9 new release dahlias to share with you.

We hope you enjoy this years selection:

Florelie Bonita

A sweet miniature decorative dahlia in a warm pastel pink. 'Bonita' is a word of Spanish and Portuguese origins. It’s meaning includes ‘pretty’, ‘beautiful’, ‘lovely’, ‘sweet’ and ‘cute’. All perfect adjectives for this new pink dahlia.

Bonita stands around 1.3 meters in height and is a prolific bloomer throughout the season, often one of the first to bloom on the Florelie farm. Plants throw dimensional shades of softer pinks with more vibrant pinks in peak season. Some blooms have an almost antique appearance.

Florelie Bonita would be an absolute gem to add to any dahlia collection.

Super versatile as a cut flower in bouquets and table arrangements given its dainty presentation. 

Tubers are predominantly large and a pleasure to divide, making Bonita a great introduction to any beginners wanting to start on their own dahlia growing journey with ease.

Classification: Miniature decorative

Plant Height: Approx 130cm

Florelie Pharaoh's Gold

Blooms are a captivating combination of gold with hues of watermelon and rust. The colour range can vary quite a bit depending on growing conditions.

Florelie Pharaoh's gold has already caught the eye of some of our florists during harvest season and is sure to be a treasure to talk about in your garden!

Plants stand at 1.6m in height and are very productive. Cut deep into the plant for long, straight stems.

Blooms are reminiscent of Florelie Fruit Tingle, a previous release from the Florelie dahlia breeding program.

We love pairing this with other warm toned dahlias in watermelon, red, orange and yellow. Complimentary cultivars such as Florelie Guava or Carlos Watermelon make Florelie Pharaoh's Gold the star of the show highlighting it’s warm tones.

Classification: Miniature decorative

Plant Height: Approx 160cm

Florelie Claire

A gorgeous miniature decorative, Florelie Claire sure packs a punch with its vibrant, salmon pink blooms. Blooms often display a hot pink center early in the season. 

Plants are more compact standing at 1.3m tall and produce an abundance of upward facing blooms. Florelie Claire is one of the earliest to begin blooming on the farm and was abundant throughout the season. Stems are best cut deep early in the season to create longer lateral shoots for harvesting. An incredibly versatile dahlia that really “pops” in arrangements. Blooms are abundant and blend well with an array of colours including pink, watermelon and plum. A favourite with visitors to the farm in 2026 and a popular addition to wedding florals.

Florelie Claire is named for Lorelie’s Grandma.

Classification: Miniature decorative

Plant Height: Approx 130cm

Florelie Muppet

Such a fun new cultivar, Florelie Muppet is the brightest orange dahlia we currently grow on the farm at Florelie.

These blooms exhibit fimbriated petals, strong bloom attachment and an excellent bloom angle for design work. Fimbriated petals look like someone got out the scissors and snipped the tips of all the flowers giving the blooms a fluffy appearance.  The name ‘Muppet’ started out as a bit of a joke and has stuck firmly to this fun flower.

Towering at an impressive height of 1.7m tall it makes for easy harvesting and is a stand out in the field. Florelie Muppet is an absolute work horse on our farm with the team picking bucketloads across the season.

This dahlia will not go unnoticed!

Classification: Miniature decorative

Plant Height: Approx 170cm

Florelie Maiden

Displaying beautiful shades of blush pink to cream and softest lemon this dahlia is perfect for wedding and event work.

An informal decorative standing around 1.7m in height. Florelie Maiden exhibits some of the longest, straightest stems for cutting on the farm. A beautiful whimsical bloom with it's slightly wavy petals. Our team harvested consistently all season with no shortage of blooms. A very productive dahlia.

Popular in wedding palettes to combine with blush, white, cream, nude and soft pinks.

Classification: Informal miniature decorative

Plant Height: Approx 170cm

Florelie Salsa

Classification: Miniature decorative

Plant Height: Approx 170cm

Florelie Solar Flare

With plants standing at a whopping 1.8m in height Florelie Solar Flare is one of the taller plants in the field.

Florelie Solar Flare is classified as a small decorative dahlia. Blooms display a combination of golden yellow, peach and watermelon with varying spread of colours across the season. These multicoloured, ombre blooms that will certainly grab your attention. The slight watermelon picotee edging on the petals is a striking feature.

Florelie Solar Flare is a great entertainer and is sure to be a conversation starter in any garden.

Classification: Small decorative

Plant Height: Approx 180cm

Florelie Lyrical

Florelie Lyrical is love at first sight and it's no secret who the seed parent is, can you guess?!
We wanted to pay homage to Cafe Au Lait in choosing the name for this beautiful dahlia. After much brainstorming, Florelie LyriCAL seemed fitting.
Florelie Lyrical is a small informal decorative with plants reaching 1.6m in height and is a prolific bloomer.
Blooms are the most beautiful shade of cherry blossom pink and with those flirty, whimsical petals, you are sure to fall in love with this enchanting dahlia. Strong bloom attachment and excellent angle for cutting.

Classification: Small informal decorative

Plant Height: Approx 160cm

Florelie Maggie

Florelie Maggie is a sweet miniature decorative. A dainty bloom in soft lilac,  Florelie Maggie is perfect for pastel arrangements. She harmonises really well with other pastel tones such as pale pink, lemon, peach, cream and apricot.

Flowers are sturdily attached to long, strong, stems for picking with a beautifully angled bloom. Petals can have more white on them at different points across the season.

A very elegant and pretty bloom to add to your garden. Florelie Maggie will delight with abundant flowers across the season.

Classification: Miniature decorative

Plant Height: Approx 160cm

We hope you enjoy this year's new release cultivars and look forward to seeing them blooming in your garden in the future.

Let us know in the comments below which one is your favourite!

Lorelie and the Florelie team

 

Here's a group photo below (Florelie Lyrical and Florelie Maggie are absent from this image).