The Best Dahlias for Pollinators

Our **POLLINATORS DREAM DAHLIA TUBER GIFT BOX** includes some of the best varieties in our field for feeding pollinators.

April 3, 2025

Fran, here: New York State flower farmer, dahlia tuber producer and author of a 216-page dahlia-growing book. There’s a question I get frequently in my email inbox that takes a few different forms: Are dahlias good for pollinators? Which dahlias are best for bees? Is (specfic variety of) dahlia good for pollinators?

Do a quick internet search on any of these questions and you could be left a bit stumped with conflicting information. I actually found one article (or maybe it was a Reddit post) that bluntly stated dahlias are not good for pollinators! The problem of opinions-stated-as-facts is not just for political banter these days, folks. Gardening also has its fair share of wacky humdrum and I’d like to clear a space here and say dahlias are good for pollinators, just like most other flowers are.

What does “good for pollinators” even mean?

Saying a plant is “good for pollinators” is a simple way of saying that a plant produces food (pollen) for an insect (pollinator) so they may:

1) Eat a nutrient- and protein-dense meal;

2) Cross-pollinate plants, a super critical phenomenon for the survival of many of our vegetable and fruit crops;

3) Encourage more pollen production so the plant can continue growing…

…among other reasons like bees making honey and generally keeping insect populations from going extinct.

The Best Dahlias for Pollinators

While I could entertain myself for hours watching flying bugs collect pollen from every single variety of dahlia in my flower field, it is true that some dahlia flowers, just because of the way they are shaped, make it easier for pollinators to access pollen. Dahlias that have open centers, such as anemone and collarette types, provide open access to all types of pollinators. Dinnerplate dahlias like Cafe Au Lait are also great because their centers open up within a few days of blooming.

In addition to Cafe Au Lait, there are a lot of other dahlias that open fairly quickly to reveal a yellow pollen-filled center. I would consider these varieties as supreme sources of pollen for insects and bees, and they certainly attract the most pollinators in the field. Even some ball-type varieties like Brookside Snowball and Ivanetti open quickly to a yellow pollen center!

These are the best dahlias for pollinators in our Dahlia Tuber Shop (even if the first photo doesn’t show an open center… just trust me!)

Preference Tuber

$12.00

sold out

Kelvin Floodlight Tuber

$15.00

Maarn Tuber

$10.00

Sonic Bloom Tuber

$11.00

Brookside Snowball Tuber

$14.00

Cafe Au Lait Tuber

$15.00

Terracotta Tuber

$14.00

Omega Tuber

$16.00

"Tony's Mania" Tuber

$10.00

Shop All Dahlia tubers now

So, are dahlias good for pollinators?

YES, absolutely! Go crazy planting them. We even have a Pollinator’s Dream Gift Box that includes a mix of (5) of the most pollinator-friendly dahlias.