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: 100–120cm
• 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–July, when soil reaches 15°C (typically May in most of the UK)
• Delivered: From March

Cafe au Lait - 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 gardeners have been fighting over it since Bruidegom introduced it in the Netherlands in 1968.

The flowers are enormous: known as dinnerplates for obvious reasons the heads up to 25cm across, with masses of wide, slightly ruffled petals. The flowers are held on strong stems perfect for cutting, and the plant blooms continuously from midsummer until the frosts come. 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 Companions

Plant all four Cafe au Lait varieties together for a gradient from white through coffee to dusky pink. For contrast, David Howard brings deep bronze foliage and burnt-orange flowers at a shorter height — put it in front. Ornamental grasses like Anemanthele lessoniana pick up the warm tones perfectly, and Verbena bonariensis or 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, Which? Best Buy, 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 — pink, peach, buff, cream, coffee — and no two flowers match, which is part of its charm. Supreme is a clean buttercream white with no pink at all — the one florists reach for when they need a reliable neutral. Royal is the most intensely pink of the group, with strong streaking. Twist is cream with raspberry markings. If you can't decide, the mixed collection gives you three varieties for the best price.

Is this 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 with a vase life of five to six days. Plant plenty and cut generously; the more you take, the more it produces.

Will the colour be predictable?

No. Individual 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. If you want a constantly changing display, the original is the one to grow.

Does it need staking?

Yes. At over a metre tall with 25cm flowers, it will topple without support. An open-centred hoop or sturdy stake with garden twine both work. Put the support in at planting time — much easier before the foliage fills out.

Will it grow in a pot?

Yes, but it's a tall, hungry plant with giant flowers, so it needs a large container — at least 40cm across and deep — with rich compost, regular feeding and consistent watering. It will always perform better in open ground. For container-specific advice, see our growing dahlias in pots guide.

When should I plant, and how deep?

Plant tubers from March onwards, but wait until the soil reaches about 15°C — typically May in most of the UK. Cover the tuber with 10–12cm of soil to insulate against late frosts. If your tubers arrive before conditions are right, pot them up temporarily in any container with a thin covering of compost and keep them frost-free. Full planting and aftercare advice is in our dahlia growing guide.

Do I need to lift the tubers in winter?

In colder or wetter parts of the UK, lifting is safest. Dig them up after the first frost blackens the foliage, dry them off, and store somewhere cool and frost-free. In milder areas or on well-drained soil, a thick mulch of straw or dry leaves over the crown will usually see them through. See our overwinter storage guide for the full method.