Cafe au Lait Dahlia Tubers

• Variety: Cafe au Lait
• Type: Decorative (giant/dinnerplate)
• Colour: Opens pale pink, shifts through peach, buff and warm cream. Ends up the colour of milky coffee
• Flower size: Up to 25cm (10in) across
• Height: 100 to 120cm
• Spread: Approximately 70cm
• Flowering: July to first frosts
• Cutting: Excellent. Strong stems, superb for arrangements and wedding work
• RHS AGM: No
• Origin: Bred by D. Bruidegom, Baarn, Holland, introduced 1968
• 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

Cafe au Lait: Probably the Most Famous Dahlia in the World

If ever a flower was perfectly named, Cafe au Lait is it. The blooms open pale pink and drift, over the course of days, through peach, buff, warm cream and a dozen shades in between, ending up the colour of a really good milky coffee. No two flowers are at quite the same stage at the same time, so the effect across a clump is a rolling wash of muted, warm tones rather than a single fixed colour.

It pairs with everything without fading into the background, which is exactly why florists, brides and garden designers have been fighting over it since Bruidegom introduced it in the Netherlands in 1968. The flowers are enormous: fully double dinnerplate heads up to 25cm across, with broad, slightly ruffled petals arranged informally. They're carried on strong stems that hold the blooms upright for cutting, and the plant flowers continuously from midsummer until the frosts stop it.

It became a worldwide sell-out after featuring in Martha Stewart Weddings, and it still sells out most springs. If you want it, order early.

The Cafe au Lait Family

Since 1998, three sports have been added to the original. Supreme is the pure white version, same flower form, clean buttercream, no pink tones at all. Royal starts pinker and stays pinker, with more obvious streaking and a stronger presence. Twist has raspberry ripples over a cream base. All four are the same height and flower at the same time, so they work beautifully planted together. Or buy the Cafe au Lait mixed collection for the best price on a combination.

Planting Partners for Cafe au Lait

The muted, shifting tones suit tonal schemes. Plant all four Cafe au Lait varieties together for a gradient from white through coffee to dusky pink. For contrast, the deep plum globes of Cornel (ball dahlia, bred by the great Cor Geerlings of Heemstede) in front bring both colour depth and a tight, geometric shape against the ruffled dinnerplates. The burnt orange and dark foliage of David Howard make it a natural companion at the same height. Anemanthele lessoniana picks up the warm tones perfectly, and Japanese anemones extend the season alongside.

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, Feefo Platinum Service Award, and human support from the team in Somerset if anything isn't right. Browse the full decorative dahlia range.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Cafe au Lait should I buy?

That depends on what you want from the colour. The original (this one) gives you the widest range of shifting tones, from pink through peach and buff into coffee, and no two flowers match. Supreme is a clean buttercream white, the one florists reach for when they need a reliable neutral. Royal is the most intensely pink. Twist is cream with raspberry markings. If you can't decide, the mixed collection gives you three varieties for the best price.

Is Cafe au Lait a good dahlia for weddings?

It's the dahlia for weddings, the one that started the whole trend. The shifting warm tones work in almost any colour scheme, the flowers are large enough to be a focal bloom, and the stems cut well. Plant plenty and cut generously. The more you take, the more it produces.

Will the colour be predictable?

Not really, and that's the appeal. Blooms on the same plant will be at different colour stages at any one time, and temperature affects the range: cooler autumn nights bring softer, more muted tones. If you need a fixed colour, Supreme (white) or Royal (pink) are more consistent.

Can I grow Cafe au Lait in a pot?

Not successfully. At 120cm tall with 25cm flowers that hold rainwater, it's too big, too hungry and too top-heavy for a container. It needs deep, rich border soil and serious staking. If you want a dahlia for pots in similar soft tones, try Arbatax (white with pink edges, 90cm) or Karma Prospero (lilac-pink waterlily, 90cm). Our dahlias in pots guide covers the alternatives.

How do I make Cafe au Lait last longer in a vase?

Cut in the morning when stems are full of water, choosing only fully open flowers. Dahlia buds won't open in the vase. Stand the stems in hot water for an hour to condition them, then transfer to a clean vase. Change the water every two days. The huge flower heads drink a lot, so keep the vase topped up. Expect five to six days.