Special Dahlia Vocabulary

Popped or Blown Center

Popped or blown center means the pollen shows on an overly mature fully double bloom. The petals will soon begin to fall off and the bloom is past peak. Blooms with popped or blown centers should not be entered in a dahlia competition.

Staghorn petals are when an incurved cactus petal has an elbow instead of a smooth arc to its bend

Staghorn Petal

Ray Floret

A broad petal of an open-centered dahlia.

Fine line of contrasting color found on the margin of the ray floret (example: Stevie O, pictured)

Picotee

Bullnose

Petals do not grow over the center. Blooms with a bull nose should not be entered in a dahlia competition.

A random petal of a different color.

Wolf petal

Reflex

The layers of petals go back toward the stem. Balls reflex all the way back, hiding the top of the stem.

Involute

Petals roll in. If you plucked one, it would be like a canoe.

Crotchbound

Bloom grows on short stem deep within the plant.