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Dahlia cultivar

Dahlia 'Café au Lait'

Decorative; large ‘dinnerplate’ · Bruidegom, 1968, Netherlands

V Written by Editorial Team · Updated January 2026

Dahlia ‘Café au Lait’ is a large decorative dahlia grown for oversized, creamy blooms that shift from blush to pale mocha through the season. It is best in full sun with rich, well‑drained soil and regular water. It flowers from midsummer to frost in most North American gardens. The blooms are excellent for event work and display well in vases with proper conditioning. This cultivar performs reliably in mild summer climates and may slow in extreme heat. It is frost‑tender and the tubers must be protected or lifted where winters are cold.

Dahlia 'Café au Lait'
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Café au Lait

Decorative; large ‘dinnerplate’ · Bruidegom, 1968, Netherlands

At‑a‑glance

  • Group/Class: Decorative; large ‘dinnerplate’
  • Height × spread: 3.5-5 ft × 1.5-2 ft (1.1-1.5 m × 45-60 cm)
  • Bloom window: mid‑summer to frost
  • Color & flower form: cream to blush; large double decorative
  • Fragrance: 0 none
  • USDA hardiness: grown as annual in most regions; may overwinter in ground in warm, well‑drained Zone 7 to 10 areas
  • Breeder / Year / Origin: Bruidegom, 1968, Netherlands
  • Cut‑flower notes: long stems; typical vase life 3 to 5 days with clean cuts and hydration.
  • Pet safety: avoid

How it differs

  • Much larger flowers than a typical garden dahlia.
  • Color varies on the same plant from cream to blush through the season.
  • Requires staking more often due to bloom size.
  • Blooms later than many medium‑flowered dahlias.

Strengths

  • Showy, oversize inflorescences.
  • Good stem length for arranging.
  • Reliable display from mid‑summer to frost in temperate areas.

Care in one minute

Site: full sun for 6 to 8 hours; shelter from strong winds; fertile loam with sharp drainage; pH about 6.5 to 7.0.

Water: keep evenly moist; avoid waterlogging that rots tubers.

Feeding: start with balanced fertilizer at planting; avoid high nitrogen once budded.

Training: pinch once plants are 12 to 18 in tall to encourage branching; stake and tie stems; deadhead to keep blooms coming.

Overwintering: after frost, cut back, lift, dry, and store tubers around 40 to 45°F (4 to 7°C) in a breathable medium, or mulch deeply and leave in the ground only in mild, well‑drained Zone 7 to 10 areas.

Watch‑outs

  • Heavy blooms can bend stems without staking.
  • Can be slow or sparse in prolonged heat.
  • Frost‑tender tubers require winter protection in cold zones.

Best uses (tags)

  • cutting
  • borders
  • late season

Provenance note

Selected and introduced by Firma D. Bruidegom in the Netherlands in 1968.

References

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Written by: Your Flowers Guide editorial team
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