Written by Nancy Polz, Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer
Just as summer starts to wane, dahlias step in to show their spectacular blooms. Dahlias are native to Mexico and Central America where their tubers were originally grown as an edible vegetable. At that time, the flower was unimpressive. Explorers took the tubers back to Europe where flower development was the interest rather than a food source. Dahlias are named after Swedish botanist Andrea Dahl. There are now more than 50,000 registered cultivars that are growing worldwide.
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