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Blue Bayou Dahlia

  • This bloom is nearly open and the outer petal whorl is still unfolding around the pin cushion center.
  • Taken from the side as the flower sits facing left, you can pick out the center petals that look like a pincushion and the whorl of purple petals surrounding the center.
  • Two Blue Bayou Dahlias show the vivid purple and pin cushion style bloom. There is a larger bloom in the lower left and a smaller bloom in the upper right corner of this picture.
  • This bloom is just starting. The outer petal whorl is open and the center folded petals are starting to open so the flower will look like a pin cushion.
  • The center petals of this flower resemble a pin cushion and there is a single layer of large outer petals.

Finding dahlias in a true purple can be tricky, but Blue Bayou Dahlias provide not only a robust purple flower, but also a unique texture that is a delight. The plant produces nice tall flowers, which are good for cuttings and the anemone flower adds a twist in the dahlia patch and in the vase. Our plant on the coast was a little leggy and not very bushy. However, it was in a place that may have needed more soil amendments, and we will plant it in a different location next year and reassess to determine if it’s really the coastal climate, or perhaps where we put this plant in the ground. It was a bit slow to bloom here on the coast, but well worth the wait. We are curious what the tuber production will be on this plant and will make notes once we have more information.

The anemone bloom of Blue Bayou is the only variety we have grown so far. Personally, we don’t have a lot of open centered dahlias and prefer flowers with numerous petal whorls. Yet in 2021, a dear friend suggested we go to Swan Island Dahlias and tour the fields. Living in Oregon, it was a simple trip and most of our tubers had been bought from Swan Island because we wanted to buy local. Wandering acres of dahlias is blissful and seeing the blooms in person is somewhat more meaningful than observing photos. If we had not made this trip, we probably wouldn’t have Blue Bayou, but that trip started the obsession and we had to order a tuber to add to the dahlia patch.

Attributes of Blue Bayou Dahlias

Height – 4 feet

Color – Purple

Bloom Size – 4″

Bloom Style – Anemone

Bloom Time – ~90 days

Three different blooms in a medium tone.
For a softer purple that approaches blue, Bluetiful has a similar color scheme to Blue Bayou.