Creme de Cognac Dahlia Tuber
Oh man, Creme de Cognac... Let's see, well, right out the gate, this was the absolute first dahlia to bloom for me 2023--we always love that!
Creme de Cognac has butterscotch-washed-with-apricot (and sometimes raspberry) on the petal-tops, and a beautiful warm rusty maroon washed with raspberry on the petal-reverses. The contrast is stunning. I don't know if I've ever seen another dahlia quite like her!
This flower is so beautiful in bouquets, a showstopper for sure.
At 4-5 inches, she's a great workable size, but be sure to pinch her early to get those good low lateral branches going, or she has a tendency to cram a ton of blooms onto one stem--I call these flower-broccolis.
Give her a little time to open! While officially classed as a formal decorative, I find she has a lot of waterlily qualities, and waterlilies are best when given enough time to really open--they'll just get fuller and fuller!