Strange coloring?

I have never seen a dahlia like this before. Has anyone else ever had any like this?

I think that it takes the cake for strange. It looks as if it's been photoshopped. I have some camellias like that. I suppose in AK you don't grow camellias though. :-)

Yep, I have seen something like this with one that I have. Kind of fun!

Yep, I have 'Hulin's Carnival' dahlia doing this too. Check out my post on the Dahlia Forum under Carol's Dahlias!.
I am going to ask a fellow who belongs to the Dahlia Society here in Oregon at a gardening club soon about this.
Carol

I am not sure which dahlia this is but it might very well be Hulin's Carnival. That is one variety that I have new this year and I managed to mix up three of my dahlias. I will have to see what the other flowers' blooms look like. Carol, when I looked at your Hulin's Carnival, that pretty well convinced me that is what mine is. Did all the flowers on your plant show the same mutation? Or was it just one bloom? Has it done that more than one season?

Doss, I know that it looks like it might have been 'touched up' but believe me, I am not that talented with PhotoShop! :-) And no, we don't have any camellias up here as far as I know.

Thanks for the input.
Michelle

Gr,
A lot of the blooms look different this year. Last year they were all normal looking with spots. Not all of them but I would say about 1/2 of them. All different forms of mutation tho.
But, yes, it looks like yours could be 'Hulin's Carnival'.
Carol

Carol, I have some more blooms opening. Two of them are pure white and it looks like the third one will be mostly purple. It is interesting to see what will come next but I do wish that I would get a flower or two that looks the way it should. Thanks for your help.
Michelle

Yep, I bet.
I went to Swan Island Dahlias near Portland, OR last weekend and saw the same thing on their plants. See Pics of NW RU in the Roundup Forum.
We asked about this problem to the owner and he said that is just the way tubers end up. In the field, I saw what you are saying on one single plant.
I have that one doing the same thing but the other flowers have shown up normal now. Tho not quite as much color as it should be, more white. The guy said that the colors can revert back to like white. I had asked if I had ordered a bi-color tuber and it came up like white, could I get a refund or replacement and he said no. So I guess every plant has its starting point and they can revert back to it.
So I need to do more research about this tho.
So who knows what each bloom will look like on your plant then. Did you have a strange spring/summer too like here in Oregon? I am thinking that is why mine did this because of the nasty late spring and early cool summer.
So enough rambling. Just my thoughts and infor.
Carol

Carol,
I wish that my flower had the color combination that it was supposed to have. But it's being like this is kind of like Christmas or a birthday. You never know what you are getting and it is a pleasant suprise when you find out. I never thought about the weather being a factor but we did have a cool spring and have been cool in the evenings pretty much all summer long. In fact I don't think that some of my zone 8 plants are going to bloom at all this year. It has just not been warm enough. And we are definitely into our fall weather. I am looking forward to next year to see what Hullin's will bring me.
Michelle

Never saw one of those, but would sure like to see one spring up in my beds!

Too bad you can't breed for flowers like that - I'd buy it!!

Michele, I've been growing a red 'Redskin" for many years. About 4 dozen plants a year, and one or two flowers per year show up like this.
All tubers come from one 6 pack I bought, way back when.
Andy P

Yes, Blackberry Ripple and Fortyniner have thrown me a few blooms like that! Kinda purdy!

That flower sure is interesting.
Guess we just have to take what the tubers give us for the blooms. It sure does make the plant look more interesting, that is for sure.
Carol