Cafe au Lait Supreme Dahlia Tubers

• Variety: Cafe au Lait Supreme
• Type: Decorative (giant/dinnerplate)
• Colour: Creamy white to buttercream, no pink variegation
• Flower size: Up to 25cm (10in) across
• Height: 100–140cm
• Spread: Approximately 70cm
• Flowering: July to first frosts
• Cutting: Excellent — strong stems, held upright
• Origin: Sport of the original Cafe au Lait (Bruidegom, 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 Supreme - A Flower Arranger's Favourite

Supreme is the Cafe au Lait that doesn't change its mind. Where the original drifts through pink, peach, buff and coffee over the life of each bloom, Supreme opens buttercream white and stays buttercream white. In computer speak, it really is WYSIWYG. No blush creeping in at the edges, no surprise pink flush on a cool morning. Just clean, warm white from first petal to last.

That sounds simple, but try finding another white dinnerplate dahlia of this quality. There aren't many. The flowers are the same colossal 25cm heads as the rest of the family, fully double with broad ruffled petals arranged loosely enough to catch the light but densely enough to look substantial. Florists and wedding designers have made it the most in-demand of the four Cafe au Lait varieties, which is why it sells out early most years. The stems hold the enormous heads upright without nodding, vase life runs to five or six days, and it flowers from midsummer right through to the frosts.

At 100 to 140cm it needs proper staking. That's the trade-off with all the Cafe au Lait dahlias: you get spectacle, but you have to do a bit of work to earn it.

Planting Companions

White dinnerplates are a gift to border designers because they go with everything without disappearing. Plant Supreme with Cafe au Lait Royal for a gradient from buttercream to dusky pink, all at the same height, flowering at the same time. For a scheme with more weight, the velvety near-black waterlily blooms of Sam Hopkins in front are stunning against white. David Howard brings dark bronze foliage and burnt orange flowers at a shorter height, so the contrast is both colour and texture. Ornamental grasses like Anemanthele lessoniana or bronze Carex catch evening light beautifully against white petals, and Japanese anemones extend the season alongside.

Why buy from Ashridge?

Our dahlia tubers are Dutch first-class quality, imported and hand-graded by us. Undersized tubers and clumps without enough viable eyes get rejected, so what arrives is ready to grow. Next-day courier from March, one-year plant guarantee, Feefo Platinum Service Award, and real people on the phone in Somerset if anything isn't right. Browse the Cafe au Lait collection or our full decorative dahlia range.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between Cafe au Lait and Cafe au Lait Supreme?

Colour, and specifically whether you want it to shift or stay put. The original opens pale pink and fades through peach, buff and milky coffee over several days. Supreme is its white sport: same flower, same scale, but a consistent buttercream with no pink tones at all. Twist adds bold raspberry streaks over cream, and Royal is the strongest pink.

Is this a good dahlia for weddings?

It's the one most florists reach for. A reliable white dinnerplate this size is hard to source from the wholesale flower market, so growing your own gives you an advantage. The stems are strong, the blooms hold well out of water during the ceremony, and they photograph beautifully in natural light. Plant generously and cut without guilt: the more you take, the more the plant produces.

Can I grow it in a pot?

No. Supreme can reach 140cm with 25cm flowers that hold rainwater like soup bowls. In a container, it'll be top-heavy, permanently thirsty, and the blooms won't reach their full size. It needs deep border soil and staking. For a white dahlia that genuinely thrives in a pot, Boom Boom White (ball dahlia, tight spherical form) or Small World (white pompon with occasional burgundy flecks) are both compact enough to work. See our growing dahlias in pots guide.

Do dahlias have a scent?

Not one worth mentioning. A faint green, earthy smell if you push your face right into the centre, but nothing you'd notice at arm's length or in a vase. If scent matters to you, grow late sweet peas or stocks alongside and mix them in arrangements. The white blooms of Supreme look especially good with scented white stocks.

What happens if I go away for a couple of weeks during flowering?

The plant keeps going, but without deadheading it starts putting energy into seed instead of new buds. You'll come back to fat spent heads and a backlog. Don't panic. Cut everything dead right back, water well, give it a liquid feed, and within a couple of weeks new buds will be coming through. With a season that runs to November, there's time. Full growing advice in our dahlia growing guide.