dahlia (pinnata) (Dahlia pinnata), photographi

How to Grow Dahlia Pinnata

Dahlia pinnata

Dahlia Pinnata is a perennial grown for its red blooms, which open from spring through fall and return year after year. Notably, it grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.

Dahlia Pinnata — the short answer

Dahlia Pinnata: full sun, pH 6–7.5, about 90 days to maturity.

Soil pH
6–7.5
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground Plant Database
Days to Maturity
90 days
Growable Ground Plant Database
Frost-kill temperature
32°F
Growable Ground Plant Database

Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.

Score your parcel · free

Score Dahlia Pinnata on your exact land.

Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether dahlia pinnata actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score dahlia pinnata against your land's real conditions.

We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

No card required · your full report in seconds

What Dahlia Pinnata is

Dahlia Pinnata grows as a perennial and reaches around four feet at maturity. It blooms red from spring through fall. It's also well suited to containers.

How to grow Dahlia Pinnata

Dahlia Pinnata does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 6 to 7.5, on well-drained ground. It needs around 1,800 growing degree days to mature and a growing season of at least 90 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.

USDA Zones

Data pending

Soil pH

6 - 7.5

Growable Ground Plant Database

Sun

Full Sun

Growable Ground plant catalog

Drainage

well (dry spells)

Growable Ground plant catalog

Frost Kill Temperature

32°F

Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.

Growable Ground Plant Database

Days to Maturity

90 days

Growable Ground plant catalog

GDD Required

1800+

Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.

Growable Ground plant catalog

Mature Height

4 ft

Growable Ground plant catalog

Frost-Free Days

90+

The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.

Growable Ground plant catalog

  1. Start the season right

    Plant dahlia pinnata in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.

  2. Match the soil

    Dahlia Pinnata prefers pH 6 to 7.5 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.

  3. Water steadily

    Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.

  4. Harvest at its peak

    Cut dahlia pinnata blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.

Where Dahlia Pinnata thrives

Whether dahlia pinnata thrives on a given site comes down to its soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates — the conditions that vary parcel to parcel.

What grows around Dahlia Pinnata

In rotation planning, dahlia pinnata counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)

Good to know

Good news for pet owners — dahlia pinnata isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)

Dahlia Pinnata offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)

Your land is one point inside Dahlia Pinnata's range

This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.

Free Report

See if Dahlia Pinnata will thrive on your land

Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether dahlia pinnata actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.

Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources analyzed in seconds

How we know this about Dahlia Pinnata

The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.

Grounded inUSDA PLANTS DatabaseUSDA PHZMASPCA

Frequently asked questions

Can I grow Dahlia Pinnata in my zone?

Zone data for dahlia pinnata is being finalized. A Growable Ground report checks your parcel's full suitability against federal soil, climate, and zone data.

When should you plant Dahlia Pinnata?

Most growers plant dahlia pinnata after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 90-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.

How much sun does Dahlia Pinnata need?

Dahlia Pinnata needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.

What soil does Dahlia Pinnata need?

Dahlia Pinnata prefers soil pH 6 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.

Does Dahlia Pinnata attract pollinators?

Yes — dahlia pinnata's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)

Is Dahlia Pinnata safe for pets?

Dahlia Pinnata is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)