I couldn’t resist snapping these delightful dahlias although a bit tattered and brown. Nearing the end of their lives, they are still quite beautiful. Not being an expert in dahlias, I couldn’t identify these by variety, hence salmon, white and raspberry/white—colors I can handle!

Just a bit of background on dahlias: Late-summer and fall flowers, dahlias come in a wide variety of types, colors and sizes and are known for their vivid colors and showy blooms ranging from small pompom to huge “dinner plate” sizes. Originating in Central America, there is evidence that the dahlia was used to treat epilepsy in the 16th century. A few hundred years ago Spanish explorers brought the plant tubers to Europe and at the Madrid Botanical Gardens the genus “Dahlia” was named for Andreas Dahl, a swedish botanist.

A friend of mine is so into dahlias that she is a long-time member of the National Capital Dahlia Society. If you’re interested in finding out more about dahlias or a dahlia society near you check out the American Dahlia Society.