Frequently Asked Questions

Sellers will have the option to ship immediately (within three business days), Fall shipped (in which case winter storage is the responsibility of the buyer), or in the Spring (February–May, in most cases).

Sellers offering rooted cuttings may offer them year round. Growers may seek rooted cuttings at any time during the year for many different reasons, such as growing their own stock, replacing lost varieties midseason, or simply wanting to jump on the opportunity to snag a hard-to-find variety whenever they can. Check each listing carefully for the seller's timeline.

This is a legally complex area, so it's worth knowing the three layers before you list. By listing on Dahlia Market, you warrant that you have the legal right to sell and propagate the variety.

• Plant patents — If a variety is under an active US plant patent, selling or asexually propagating it without the patent holder's authorization is infringement. Full stop.
• Hybridizer licensing agreements — Some hybridizers run royalty or licensing programs for their varieties, independent of patent status. If you received tubers under terms that included a licensing agreement, those terms travel with the plant material when you resell it. Dahlia Market doesn't enforce or track these — that's between you and the hybridizer.
• Propagation-only releases — Some varieties are passed along with the understanding they're for personal growing, not resale. Honoring that is part of being a good community member, even when it isn't legally binding.

If you're unsure whether a variety is patented or restricted, research it before listing — and when in doubt, contact the originating hybridizer. Dahlia Market is not responsible for patent or licensing violations by sellers; see our Terms of Service.

Stripe (not Dahlia Market) runs the secure payout setup, so the screens are theirs and a couple of questions can feel a little corporate for a backyard grower. Here's what to expect so nothing trips you up:

• It asks whether you're an individual or a business — answer whatever's true for you.
• For industry / category there's no “dahlias” (or even a clear garden) option, so just pick the closest — searching nursery or florist works, or Retail → Other is fine. It's only Stripe's internal classification; it doesn't change your payouts, fees, or listings.
• It'll ask for your bank details and a tax ID (an IRS requirement for getting paid). That all goes straight to Stripe — Dahlia Market never sees your bank info or tax ID.

It's a one-time, few-minute setup. For anything specific to your situation, Stripe's support can help — and this isn't tax or legal advice.

Maybe — and if you do, it's easier and cheaper than you think. Most states let very small sellers sell with no license at all, and above a low threshold it's usually just an inexpensive nursery endorsement that anyone can get. Don't let it scare you off selling your extras.

Every state draws the line differently. For example, Washington requires nothing under $100 of plant sales a year (cut flowers are fully exempt); above that, you add a Nursery Plant Seller-Installer endorsement that runs roughly $63–81/yr at the smallest tier — apply online, then a friendly bloom-season garden inspection. Other states set the line elsewhere.

We wrote a plain-language walkthrough — Selling Your Extras: Getting Licensed Is Easier Than You Think — and the quickest way to check your own state is to search “[your state] nursery license” or contact your Department of Agriculture (for WA, the WSDA page spells it out).

We can't track every state's rules, so being licensed where you need to be is the seller's responsibility, and this isn't legal advice — but truly, it's a small step for the freedom to sell openly.

Our mission is to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. As home growers and cutting-sellers multiply, viruses like TSWV and TSV are spreading at unprecedented rates — the American Dahlia Society estimates that 87% of outwardly healthy dahlias grown in the US carry at least one dormant virus.

We don't think fear or shame helps — knowledge does. Dahlia Market is here to help you recognize the signs, know when it's time to cull, and feel confident in what you buy and sell. We're all still learning; this is a place to raise the standard together and protect the future of the dahlia community. Read more in our A note on dahlia virus section.

First, a little tuber truth: a tuber is either blind or it isn't. Blind means it has no viable eye, and a tuber without one was that way when it shipped; tubers don't “go blind” in storage. Sellers here agree to ship healthy, accurately described tubers with a visible eye. So look your order over when it arrives: if you suspect a tuber is blind, or it shows up damaged, rotted, or not what was described, message the seller through your order's chat thread within a few days of delivery. That is the window where things can be made right, and we'll help if needed.

What happens over a winter of storage is a different story. Tubers rot in damp conditions, shrivel when it's too dry, or simply fail to wake, even from the most reputable grower. Months later there is no way to tell what shipped from what happened after, so sellers can't be held responsible for problems raised in spring. Gardening is humbling, and a tuber lost in storage is usually nobody's fault.

Please reserve reviews and reports for the actual condition of what arrived. We're all human here, and a little grace in both directions keeps this community kind.

Dahlias are far from PNW-only — they grow happily across most of the country, roughly USDA hardiness zones 3–10. The Pacific Northwest is simply famous for them because its mild, long autumns are ideal, but gardeners from Maine to Texas to California grow gorgeous dahlias every year.

The main thing your zone decides is overwintering: in zones 8+ tubers can usually stay in the ground year-round, while in colder zones (roughly 7 and below) most growers dig and store tubers indoors over winter, then replant after the last frost. Dahlias are sold as dormant tubers and cuttings precisely so they can travel and be planted almost anywhere once your soil warms.

Not sure of your zone? Look up your ZIP on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. We're also expanding our Field Notes with growing-and-storing basics for first-time growers.