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Cultivar Information

Cafe Au Lait Dahlia

  • Cafe Au Lait Dahlias have big bloom of pointed petals and in this image the flower fills the frame with just a bit of greenery in the background.
  • Angled to the left and surrounded by green leaves is the cream colored Cafe Au Lait.
  • In golden sunlight, the bloom takes on a warmer cream tone with petals that curl, twist, and have a bit of an asymetrical presentation.
  • Taken in full sun to highlight the warm tones and irregular petal direction of Cafe Au Lait.
  • Once fully bloomed, the center petals curl in on themselves and in this light the dahlias looks cream colored.
  • Taken in October, the creme petals have a light pink blush to them. This picture shows several blooms and the green foliage of the plant.
  • Taken from the side with the sun back lighting the bloom is a creme Cafe AU Lait Bloom
  • Also back lit with greenery around the flower. This bloom is still mid bloom and center petals have not erupted yet.
  • Back lit by the sun, this bloom fills the frame in creme and curly petals.
  • The frame is filled with a light pink Cafe Au Lait bloom kissed with rain drops.

Popular with brides, Cafe Au Lait Dahlias make big cream blooms. This dahlia is a late season bloomer and does not produce as many blooms as other varieties. It always goes in our first round of planting because it takes a while to grow both plant and blooms. With this knowledge in hand, you should expect to plant this variety in a location where the plants will not be overly crowded. The blooms also have a bit of inconsistency in color over the growing season, sometimes being nearly white and other times looking more light blush in color. Ours seems to be creamy and are a bit smaller because we don’t pinch buds. These plants should be staked to prevent breaking and pinching will make heavier blooms that might break off.

We resist some of the trendy dahlias for lesser appreciated, but equally beautiful blooms. Cafe Au Lait and Apple Blossom are the exceptions. We added Cafe Au Lait in 2019. The big blooms work well with Peach Fuzz, as well as many others. In fact it goes well in every bouquet we put it in. Perhaps because of our coastal climate, the blooms are about 6-7 inches and not as big, but it may preform differently in warmer climates.

Attributes of Cafe Au Lait Dahlias

Height – 4 feet

Color – Soft cream

Bloom Size – 6-8″

Bloom Style – Informal Decorative

Bloom Time – 120 days

A vase with two tangerine Peach Fuzz blooms on the right, two cream Cafe Au Lair blooms on the right and tucked under those four is one white Lady Liberty bloom.
Peach Fuzz can be a beautiful accent in a bouquet and may even steal the show from Cafe Au Lait.