Should You Buy Dahlias in April?

Spring hits … and suddenly dahlias are everywhere. Big blooms. Bright colors. Hard to pass up.

So the question becomes: should you buy them now? Or wait?

The answer is: both.

Let’s start with the upside. Dahlias are one of the best summer plants you can grow.

They:

• ✓ Thrive in heat
• ✓ Bloom heavily in mid to late summer
• ✓ Perform incredibly well in containers and landscapes

And when they’re grown properly (like ours are), they’re:

• ✓ Fully established
• ✓ Actively growing
• ✓ Ready to take off once conditions are right

So yes — buying early can absolutely make sense.

Dahlias are not built for cold. Not even close.

Research and grower guidance consistently show:

• ✓ Dahlias are highly sensitive to low temperatures
• ✓ Damage can occur near freezing, with severe injury around 32°F and below

And more importantly — even if they don’t die, they can be set back significantly.

This is where most people misunderstand them. A cold night might not kill the plant — but it can slow it down.

According to floriculture research and grower insights, temperature stress impacts development and flowering timing.

So what happens?

• ✓ You don’t lose the plant
• ✓ You lose momentum

And with dahlias — momentum matters.

Because they are. Compared to something like a petunia:

• ✓ Petunias can handle temps in the 30s without much issue
• ✓ Dahlias experience stress much sooner

35°F might be nothing for a petunia. For a dahlia, it’s basically the Antarctic. That’s not far off.

Dahlias want:

• ✓ Warm days
• ✓ Warm nights
• ✓ Consistent growth conditions

Anything outside of that slows growth, delays bloom, and increases stress.

This part is important. Dahlias under stress are more susceptible to pests and disease.

This aligns with broader extension and grower guidance:

• ✓ Stressed plants are more vulnerable to pests and pathogens
• ✓ Cool, wet early conditions can increase disease pressure in annual crops

So it’s not just about survival — it’s about performance.

Yes, if:

• ✓ You can protect them
• ✓ You have a warm, sheltered space
• ✓ You’re willing to manage the risk

Maybe wait if:

• ✓ You’re planting directly outside
• ✓ You don’t want to cover or move plants
• ✓ You want the easiest path to success

Here’s something most people don’t realize: plants are scheduled by growers for a reason.

Most growers time dahlias to be ready, selling, and thriving when the weather actually fits the plant.

If they show up early? That wasn’t always the original intention.

Dahlias aren’t the only ones. If you want to play it safe, also consider waiting on:

• ✓ Lantana
• ✓ Sweet potato vine
• ✓ Coleus (especially sun types)
• ✓ Vinca
• ✓ Tropical hibiscus

These are all heat-loving, cold-sensitive, and slow to recover from stress.

Dahlias at a good garden center are grown under ideal conditions, properly fed and watered, and protected from stress. They’re in a great place.

The question is: are the conditions at home ready for them yet?

Buying dahlias in April isn’t wrong. But it comes with responsibility.

If you protect them, understand the risk, and give them the right conditions — they’ll reward you.

If not — you may not lose them, but you might not get what they’re capable of either.

Reference: Purdue University Extension / University floriculture research — Indiana gardening resources