Dahlia Facts

The Dahlia is native to Mexico, Columbia, and Central America.

The species ‘Dahlia Pinnata’ is the National flower of Mexico. This Dahlia is also the official flower of Seattle, Washington.

Dahlias have tuberous roots which enable them to store water.

Before insulin was discovered for diabetics, the tuber of a dahlia was used to produce a starch to treat diabetes.

This flower is named after Swedish 18th-century botanist Anders Dahl.

The Dahlia flower and size vary greatly due to number of genes affecting the plants appearance. Normally flowers contain 2 genes that determine physical appearance and a Dahlia has 8.

The Dahlia reproduces asexually.

This flower might also attract hummingbirds if planted in your garden.

Resources used:

http://creationwiki.org/Dahlia, http://www.dahliaguide.com/dahlia-history.html, http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/aboutflowers/nationalflowers/mexico-national-flower, http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/growingflowers/growingflowers/dahlia, http://www.gardening-tools-direct.co.uk/general/dahlia.html