The Latin influence is huge in Texas. We see it everywhere in the delicious Tex-Mex food that everyone around here loves. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Dahlias are just as big here. We think it’s fitting that we talk about a flower whose ideal is “bigger is better,” an adage that every Texan understands. Our team of Gordon Boswell floral designers loves to come up with flower arrangements.
Early Dahlia History
The Dahlia is the national flower of Mexico. These flowers are indigenous to areas in the Guatemalan and Mexican mountains. The Aztecs handled introducing Dahlias to the world. When the Spanish conquistadors came to the New World, they spent most of their time fighting, as they tried to conquer the Aztec Indians. When they weren’t attempting to overpower Indians, they devoted their time to learning about and discovering native plants.
That didn’t help the conquistadors introduce these spectacular flowers to Europe any earlier. Dahlias didn’t appear in Europe for 200 years. They did bring seeds, some roots, and a few plants back to Spain. The Royal Botanic Garden in Madrid propagated plants that the conquistadors brought back.
By 1789, Dahlias arrived in Europe. The earliest mention of Dahlias in America comes from the writings of American garden writers who described these beauties and the range of varieties that are available. In the 1870s, a new type of Dahlia, the cactus dahlia was introduced. According to F.F. Rockwell, in 1927, Dahlias ranked #1 as the most popular bulb planted anywhere in the United States.
Symbolism and Meaning of Dahlias
Dahlias are considered spicy flowers. They come in pink, yellow, orange, red, purple, and white. If you send someone dahlias, you could be sending them a warning message, or telling them you have a premonition of betrayal. If you know someone who is going away – either for business or pleasure, a gift of dahlias suggests travel. When you want a situation to change, send dahlias, because they’ll convey that message.
During the Victorian Era, the language of flowers provided men and women with a way to share secret messages. That language is still apt today. The messages may no longer be secret, but the idea of delivering a message to someone with flowers is always appropriate, romantic, and sentimental.
According to the all-important Language of Flowers, dahlias suggest elegance. They are also seen as a sign of eternal commitment, so they are very appropriate as a gift for someone in honor of their love for one another and their marriage.
We can’t think of a more romantic flower arrangement than Sweet Thoughts. We envision this bouquet with a unique twist. We’d add dahlias to the roses and wax flowers. The accents of bear grass make this display look as sophisticated as it is elegant.
