Native to Central America, Mexico and Colombia, there are approximately 30 species and as many as 20,000 cultivars that no longer bear much resemblance to the original wild species–a simple single flower with a scarlet ray and yellow disk.

Dahlias are named after the Swedish botanist Andreas Dahl, a student of Linnaeus. In eastern Europe and Russia, the dahlia is known a georgina, named for a St. Petersburg botany professor, Johnn Georgi, who was so delighted with the dahlia he saw on a holiday in Paris he took them  home and gave them to friends.

In the language of flowers, a single dahlia indicated good taste, but a collection noted instability,  apparently referring to the difficulty of growing it in European gardens.