Delilah Flowers | Beautiful Blooms | How to Grow | Care Tips

The Delilah flower is a type of dahlia with large flowers of up to 6 inches. They are popular in any colorful garden and highly recommended as cut flowers to breathe life into your home. You can buy Delilah flowers and other plants from your local garden center or through mail order catalogs. However, you do not have to purchase a plant. It is possible to grow Delilah flowers from starters you make yourself. You will need to take care of the plant for about three months before it yields flowers and is ready to transfer over to the growing stage.

Delilah Flowers start off as a small pod flower. Cut one from your home grown Delilah and place it in a jar filled with warm water.

What are Delilah Flowers?

The Delilah Flower is a type of Dahlia that has large flowers with colors ranging from white to dark purple, including the popular ‘Black Dahlia’. They come in many shapes and colors. The plant is named after the biblical character Delilah who cut off Samson’s hair, and the flower is said to resemble Samson’s hair.

While they are not as versatile in their use as some other Dahlias, they do well in bouquets and as cut flowers. The flowers tend to last longer than many of the more exotic varieties of dahlia because of their large size. They also remain relatively plump and complete with petals.

How to plant Delilah flower?

Delilah Flowers prefer full sun and well drained soils. Soil should have a pH of 5.5 – 7.0, with a 6.0 being optimum. The general recommendation is planting in the spring after the last frost date, because they do not tolerate frost at all. They grow well in raised beds planted in composted material or planted directly into the ground after clearing out weeds and debris. They can tolerate drought conditions, but they require regular watering. Delilah flower can be grown in containers but is only moderately successful.

Fertilize for the first time when the plant is about 6 inches tall and then again when it reaches 10 inches. Fertilize every three weeks with a 20-20-20 fertilizer at 1/2 strength until mid-September. At this point you should discontinue fertilizing to encourage flower development.

How to take care of Delilah flower?

1. Withhold water during the winter months.
2. When using in a mixed flower bouquet, layer the Delilah flowers among other flowers with smaller blooms to help them stand out.
3. To prevent Delilah flower from wilting, cut the stems at an angle on a slant, with about one-third of it being above the water line and two-thirds below it to allow more water access to the stem and root system of this plant.
4. Do not fertilize your Delilah flowers unless you have problems with them dying.
5. When transferring your Delilah flowers to your garden, do so in the early morning when the dew is still on the plants.
6. Keep Delilah flowers well away from the trunks of trees or shrubs as they will break off at the stems and are easily ruined.
7. Delilah flowers can also be transplanted after a rain shower and will regrow quite vigorously.
8. Do not let your Delilah flower plant sit in water for an extended period of time because the leaves tend to develop root rot and the center of the plant rots as well.

How to propagate Delilah flower?

1. Taking your Delilah flower(s) outside at night and lightly rubbing the bottom of each plant to induce root growth.
2. Pull a bud off of the plant and place it in an individual glass.
3. Place the glass in direct sunlight overnight, but take it out by 8 A.M.
4. The bud will begin to grow, opening into a white flower with a single large petal that can range from pinkish-red to dark purple in color as it matures.
5. Once the flower blooms, you can transplant it into the desired location for your Delilah flower(s).
6. Use the same method to propagate more Delilah flowers.

 A few facts about Delilah flower

1. The Delilah flower was originally from Mexico and was brought into North America by the Spanish.
2. When grown in containers, it will produce fragrant flowers that are about 2 inches across that resemble a tulip blooming in spring.
3. The Delilah flower grows to heights of approximately 4 feet and only needs to be divided every two years, so it is a good choice when choosing what kinds of flowers to plant in your home garden.
4. The Delilah flower is so much more than just a plant for decoration and can add beauty to your home’s landscape by providing bright pink blooms that last for up to two months.
5. At one point in history, the Delilah flower was used as a money substitute in various countries around the world such as Mexico and China.
6. The flowers have medicinal value and have been used to treat diabetes, high blood pressure, skin disorders and digestive problems like indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome.