Brown Sugar Dahlia Tubers

• Variety: Brown Sugar
• Type: Ball dahlia
• Colour: Terracotta, paprika, apricot and copper, all in one bloom. Deepens towards the centre
• Flower size: 10 to 12cm across
• Height: 90cm
• Spread: 60cm
• Flowering: July to November
• Cutting: Yes. Long, straight stems. Excellent for autumn arrangements
• RHS AGM: No
• Origin: Raised by Roger Adams Jr., Pleasant Valley Glads and Dahlias, Connecticut, 2003
• Sold as: Single tubers, hand-graded, Dutch first-class quality
• Plant outdoors: March to July, when soil reaches 15°C (typically May in most of the UK)
• Delivered: From March. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Brown Sugar: A Ball Dahlia in a Colour You Can't Quite Pin Down

Try to describe the colour of Brown Sugar and you'll end up listing four or five words. Terracotta. Paprika. Apricot. Copper. A hint of burnt sienna. All of them are present in a single bloom, layered from a deeper, richer centre to paler outer petals. It's the colour of autumn condensed into a flower, and it's one of those dahlias that's easier to photograph than to describe.

Raised in 2003 by Roger Adams Jr. at Pleasant Valley Glads and Dahlias in Connecticut, Brown Sugar is a ball dahlia, which means each petal curls inward to build a tight, spiralling globe. The flowers are 10 to 12cm across, a good practical size for bouquets and arrangements. The stems are long and straight, naturally upright, and the plant produces them freely from July to November.

At 90cm with a 60cm spread, it's manageable in a border and possible in a large pot. The warm tones deepen as the season progresses into autumn, so it gets better as the light gets lower. Space plants about 75cm apart for the best effect.

Planting Partners for Brown Sugar

Warm tones against warm tones, with something darker to anchor the scheme. Plant Brown Sugar alongside Daisy Duke (coral-pink decorative, same height, different form) and the heritage apricot of Preference (semi-cactus spikes, 120cm behind). For depth, add the deep maroon of Cornel (ball, 120cm) or the near-black of Rip City. Buff grasses like Stipa gigantea and red hot pokers (Kniphofia) extend the border into a full late-summer warm scheme.

Why Ashridge?

Our dahlia tubers are Dutch first-class quality, imported direct and hand-graded by us. We discard undersized tubers so you get a clump with viable eyes, ready to grow. Delivered by next-day courier from March, with our one-year plant guarantee, Which? Best Plant Supplier, and real people on the phone in Somerset. Browse our other ball dahlias or the complete dahlia collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What colour is Brown Sugar, exactly?

That's the question. The petals blend terracotta, paprika, apricot and copper in a single bloom, deepening from the outer edges towards a richer centre. Cooler autumn nights intensify the tones. If you've seen it described as "warm orange" or "burnt umber" elsewhere, they're not wrong either. The shifting, layered quality is the whole point.

Is Brown Sugar good for cutting?

Excellent. The long, straight stems make it one of the easiest ball dahlias to arrange. The 10 to 12cm flowers are the ideal scale for bouquets, and the warm colour mixes beautifully with deeper dahlias like Dark Spirit or Cornel. Cut only fully open blooms, early in the morning.

Will Brown Sugar grow in a pot?

At 90cm with mid-sized flowers, it'll work in a container of at least 30cm across and deep. Feed fortnightly and water regularly. The warm tones look particularly good in a terracotta pot. Our container guide has more detail.

How does a ball dahlia differ from a pompon?

Size. Both have the same tightly spiralled, globe-shaped form. Pompon dahlias are under 5cm across, ball dahlias are 5 to 15cm. Brown Sugar at 10 to 12cm is firmly in ball territory. The tight structure makes both types more rain-tolerant than flat-petalled decorative dahlias. Our types of dahlias guide explains the classifications.

How do I store Brown Sugar tubers over winter?

After the first frosts blacken the foliage, cut stems to 15cm, lift the tubers, brush off loose soil and dry for a day or two. Store somewhere cool, dark and frost-free. Check monthly for rot. Our overwintering dahlias guide walks through the process.