Red Dahlia Varieties

Red dahlias carry a long catalogue history — cultivars like Bishop of Llandaff have held their place in gardens for a century on the strength of foliage contrast alone. The colour sits in the high-impact end of the palette, which means careful pairing in bouquet work and confident placement in beds. The list below groups red varieties across forms so you can match silhouette to use case.

This guide catalogues 12 varieties on The Dahlia Hub, organised so you can compare at a glance. Each entry links to the full variety page with current seller listings and marketplace pricing.

Anemone dahlias

1 anemone variety in this group.

• Jive — The two-tone Dutch variety that farmers market regulars always ask about first.

Cactus dahlias

3 cactus varieties in this group.

• Doris Day — The classic red that never goes out of style.
• Juanita — The show-circuit red that's won prizes on six continents.
• Stiletto — The red dahlia that commands the room and earns its name.

Formal Decorative dahlias

1 formal decorative variety in this group.

• Evening Lady — The red dahlia serious exhibitors build their season around.

Informal Decorative dahlias

2 informal decorative varieties in this group.

• Spartacus — The variety serious exhibitors build their season around.
• Zorro — The one every show table needs.

Peony dahlias

1 peony variety in this group.

• Bishop of Llandaff — The dahlia that earns its place before it even blooms.

Semi-Cactus dahlias

2 semi-cactus varieties in this group.

• Black Jack — The stem everyone at the farmers market asks about.
• Mingus Alex — The stem everyone at the farmers market asks about.

Single dahlias

1 single variety in this group.

• Bishop of Auckland — The dahlia with foliage as dramatic as the flower.

Waterlily dahlias

1 waterlily variety in this group.

• Angels of 7A — The dahlia that honors the heroes of Portland's trauma unit.

How to choose

For gardens: bronze-leafed peony-form reds give the strongest visual hit in summer. For cutting: ball and informal decorative reds hold longer in vase and photograph cleanly against neutral backgrounds. Hover to the individual variety pages for seller availability, breeder context, and growing guidance.