What are Dahlia Bulbs?
Dahlia bulbs are a subterranean root system that stores reservoirs of nutrients, allowing the dahlia plant to mature year after year without benefit of seed or spores. Dahlias do not technically have bulbs, the way that tulips or hyacinth do. They have non-hardy, or tender, tubers; they do not survive winter frosts and must be protected from freezing if they are to regenerate the following spring. However, their underground root system may be commonly referred to as a bulb made up of smaller tubers. After autumn, the aboveground blooms and foliage shrivel and die, leaving the bulb to rest until spring, when it will grow and bloom again. Dahlias are from the flower family Compositeae. Dahlia bulbs are non-hardy, like those of Gladiolus. True bulbs, like daffodils, have fleshy leaves underground that protect the central embryo. However, a tuber combines the stem and the root, but has swollen to accommodate more moisture and nutrients. The dahlia bulb is composed of many distinct tubers,
