Lucca Johanna Dahlia Tubers

• Variety: Lucca Johanna
• Type: Waterlily
• Colour: White at the centre, lilac-pink at the tips
• Flower size: 10–13cm (4–5in) — medium waterlily
• Height: 90cm
• Flowering: July to first frosts with regular deadheading
• RHS AGM: No
• Good for: Cutting, borders, containers
• Sold as: Tubers (A-grade, re-graded by us)
• Plant outdoors: After last frost (late April to May)
• Delivered: Spring by next-day courier. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Lucca Johanna – A Waterlily Dahlia Made for the Vase

Lucca Johanna belongs to the waterlily group, which means the blooms are wide and shallow rather than deep and round, with broad petals that curve gently upwards from a flat centre. The effect is poised, delicate, almost floating — more refined than the blousy decoratives and more open than the tight geometry of a ball dahlia. The flowers are white at the heart with lilac-pink brushed across the petal tips, a combination that reads as soft pink from a distance and reveals its two-tone subtlety close up.

This variety was bred for the cut flower trade, and it shows. The stems are upright and strong enough for arranging without flopping, the flower heads face outwards rather than nodding, and the blooms hold their shape in water for a good five days. At 90cm tall it sits neatly in the middle of a border without dominating, and the moderate flower size — 10–13cm across — means you get quantity rather than a few enormous heads. A single well-fed plant will produce dozens of stems through the season.

Colour That Works With Everything

The white-into-lilac palette is genuinely versatile. It sits comfortably alongside hot oranges without clashing, cools down a red scheme, and looks exquisite with silver foliage and pale blues. In a cutting garden it mixes into almost any arrangement. Pair it with something strong — Rip City gives you deep red contrast, while David Howard adds burnt orange and dark foliage behind it. For a quieter look, plant it with Boom Boom White and let the lilac tips do the talking against a clean white background. A drift of lavender at the feet adds scent — something dahlias conspicuously lack.

Why Ashridge?

Our dahlia tubers are Dutch first-class quality, imported direct and re-graded by us before dispatch. Undersized tubers get rejected. 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 if anything isn't right. Browse the complete dahlia collection, or see all our waterlily dahlias.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a waterlily dahlia?

A waterlily dahlia has flowers that are broad and flat rather than ball-shaped, with broad petals curving gently upwards from a shallow centre — the depth of the bloom is never more than a third of its width. They look like their namesake floating on a pond. It is an official RHS classification (Group 4), not just a marketing term. Our dahlia types guide explains all the forms.

Will Lucca Johanna grow in a pot?

Well suited to containers. At 90cm with medium-sized flowers, it stays compact and the stems are strong enough to resist wind without heavy staking. Use a pot at least 30cm across and deep, water regularly, and feed fortnightly with liquid tomato food from June. Our dahlias in pots guide covers the detail.

Do dahlias come back every year?

Dahlias are tender perennials. In mild areas and sheltered gardens, tubers left in the ground under a thick mulch will often come back year after year. In colder or wetter spots, lift them after the first frosts and store somewhere cool and frost-free until spring. Our overwintering guide walks you through both approaches.

How do I make Lucca Johanna cut flowers last longer?

Cut stems in the early morning when they are fully turgid. Pick flowers that are about 90% open — dahlia buds barely develop once cut. Strip the lower leaves, hold the cut stems underwater and make a fresh diagonal cut, then transfer quickly to the vase without exposing the stem ends to air. Dahlia stems are hollow, and air locks in the vascular system kill flowers fast. Change the water every day and add a drop of flower food.

Do dahlias need full sun?

Full sun produces the most flowers and the strongest stems. Lucca Johanna will tolerate light afternoon shade without serious impact, but fewer than five or six hours of direct sun noticeably reduces the number of blooms. Planting, feeding and seasonal care are covered in our dahlia growing guide.