Updated November 3, 2026
If you've ever tried to buy a popular dahlia variety and found it sold out within minutes, you've met the dahlia tuber sale. Small flower farms grow a limited number of tubers of each variety, and demand for the favorites far outstrips supply. Knowing how the sales work makes a big difference.
A dahlia tuber looks like a small sweet potato. What matters is the crown, the point where the tuber joined last year's stem, because that's where the "eye" forms. A tuber needs at least one eye to grow into a plant. A healthy tuber feels firm, not shriveled or spongy. Its size doesn't predict how big the flowers will be.
Growers dig and divide their tubers in the fall, after the first frost, and store them over winter. That's why sales happen months before planting time.
Most small farms in northwest Washington hold their main sale sometime between January and March, and ship or hand out tubers in April and May, when it's time to plant. Many also run smaller sales: a late-summer preorder while plants are in bloom, a fall sale, or a spring sale for whatever is left. Some sell through live online events at a set time.
Sale dates are almost always announced to email newsletter subscribers first. If there's a farm you love, sign up for its newsletter well before winter.
Be ready before the sale opens. Create an account on the farm's shop ahead of time and save your shipping and payment details, so checkout takes seconds.
Know that your cart isn't a reservation. On most farm shops, a tuber isn't yours until checkout is complete. Someone who checks out a few seconds faster gets the last one. Put your top one or two varieties in first and check out, rather than filling a big cart.
Have backups. Make a short list of second choices with a similar color and form, in case your first picks go.
Several small orders can beat one big one. Some farms combine shipping on multiple orders placed during a sale and refund the extra. Check the farm's FAQ before you rely on it.
Watch for restocks. Growers sometimes find extra tubers while preparing orders in spring and release them later. Back-in-stock email lists are worth joining.
Buying from a grower nearby often means you can skip shipping and pick up on the farm in spring. Several farms in Whatcom, Skagit, and Island Counties offer pickup days. It also means buying varieties that are proven in our climate. Some local growers specialize in dahlias bred right here in the Northwest.
Local dahlia societies, such as those in Whatcom and Snohomish Counties, hold tuber sales in spring with a wide mix of varieties at modest prices. They're a great way to start a collection, and the members are happy to answer questions.
Keep your tubers somewhere cool and dark that doesn't freeze until planting. If one looks shriveled, sealing it loosely in a plastic bag with a few drops of water in a warm spot can revive it. Watch for mold.
In western Washington, plant once the soil has warmed, usually late April to mid-May. Plants start blooming in late July and keep going until the first hard frost, usually in October or November. When they do, our guide to picking dahlias covers getting the longest vase life from them.