Name: ‘Sweet Nathalie’ Dahlia
Brand: Van Noort
SKU: VAN-327-406-75
Price: 13.99 CAD
Availability: InStock

Sale Sold out

Upright Sweet Nathalie dahlia clump approximately 90 cm tall above green foliage

Bulb Asteraceae

Van Noort

Dahlia pinnata

From bulb to bloom

Common nameSweet Nathalie dahlia

FamilyAsteraceae

GenusDahlia

CultivarSweet Nathalie

Bulb typeTubercule de dahlia

Botanical nameDahlia

Quantity per pack1

Bulb sizeNo 1

‘Sweet Nathalie’ Dahlia (Dahlia × hortensis) ‘Sweet Nathalie’ dahlia carries fully double decorative flowers reaching 13 cm across. Their creamy-white florets are lightly overlaid with soft pink, with stronger colour along the veins, creating the powdery effect valued by floral designers. The upright clump reaches approximately 90 cm tall and 50 cm wide, carrying green foliage that keeps flowerheads clearly visible. From July until the first frost, regular stems provide a succession of refined blooms for borders, cutting gardens, and wedding arrangements. The palette remains gentle without becoming uniform: light, temperature, and flower age subtly change the proportion of cream and pink. This natural variation gives harvested bunches depth while preserving a calm, cohesive appearance.

Plant the No. 1 tuber in spring after the final frost once soil has warmed. Lay it 10 cm deep with the bud facing upward in fertile, humus-rich, loose, freely drained soil. Leave 50 cm around the crown, choose full sun, and provide discreet support. Water sparingly before emergence, then deeply at soil level whenever the surface dries. Pinch the shoot at 20 to 30 cm to encourage branching and produce more cutting stems. Incorporate mature compost and feed moderately, shifting toward greater potassium as buds form. Avoid excessive nitrogen, saturated soil, and repeated shallow watering that weaken the plant. Maintain open airflow around the clump throughout humid summer weather to keep foliage healthy.

Combine ‘Sweet Nathalie’ with Café au Lait dahlia, cream zinnias, chocolate cosmos, mauve salvias, and rosy-beige grasses for a wedding-inspired palette. Harvest fully open stems early in the morning, place them in water immediately, and remove submerged foliage. Remove faded flowerheads continuously to sustain repeat bloom. Highly double flowers offer little accessible pollen, so include single neighbours for useful insects. Watch for slugs, aphids, and spider mites, then keep foliage airy. In Canada, lift the tuber after the first frost, allow its surface to dry, label it, and store it in darkness somewhere cool, dry, and frost-free until the following spring. Inspect it monthly and remove only tissue that becomes soft or rotten during storage.

Light and life cycle

In the garden

Exposure: Full sun
Life cycle: Perennial
Hardiness: Zone 10

Planting and establishment

Planting guide

Planting & establishment

Planting depth

10 cm

Spacing / density

Espacez les plants d’environ 50 cm.

Establishment temperature

Sol à environ 16 °C ou plus

Rooting time

Quelques semaines, selon la chaleur et les conditions de culture

Planting period

Printemps, après les dernières gelées

Propagation

Division of tubers, each bearing a viable bud

Growing method

En pleine terre ou en grand contenant bien drainé.

Soil and care

Soil & care

Soil pH

Slightly acidic to neutral

Moisture

Sol frais et bien drainé; arrosez régulièrement sans détremper.

Minimum temperature

5 °C (41 °F)

Care level

Moderate

Watering

Arroser régulièrement au pied sans détremper le sol.

Soil type

Fertile et bien drainé

Fertilization

Incorporate mature compost before planting. During early growth, use balanced fertilizer low to moderate in nitrogen, then favour higher potassium when buds appear. Follow the labelled rate and water afterward. Excess nitrogen produces soft stems, abundant leaves, and fewer flowers.

Seasonal care

In spring, inspect the tuber, remove only rotted tissue, and plant after the final frost once soil has warmed. Install support immediately. Until emergence, avoid repeated watering. In early summer, pinch the shoot at 20 or 30 cm, tie new stems, and keep soil fresh without saturation. From bud formation, feed moderately with greater potassium. Through summer, water deeply at the base during dry periods, harvest fully open blooms, and remove faded heads continuously. Monitor slugs, aphids, earwigs, spider mites, and grey mould. After the first frost, cut the stems, lift the tuber carefully, allow its surface to dry, label Sweet Nathalie, and store it in darkness somewhere cool, dry, and frost-free. Inspect it monthly throughout winter. Remove faded blooms before seeds develop so the clump directs its energy toward new buds until the first frost arrives. Always water slowly at soil level, then let the upper layer breathe to balance freshness, oxygen, and free drainage around the tuber. Cream, soft pink, and rosy beige tones combine especially well with blue, white, or purple perennials and lightly textured grasses.

Growing in containers

Container growing

Recommended pot size

Deep, very stable 40 to 50 L container

Choose a stable 40 to 50 L container with many drainage holes and a rich yet airy growing mix. Plant one tuber 10 cm deep and set support into the pot before roots expand. Keep the container in full sun, sheltered from strong gusts. Water sparingly until emergence, then thoroughly whenever the upper layer dries; always empty the saucer. Apply moderate liquid feeding richer in potassium from bud formation. Rotate the pot weekly, pinch the shoot to encourage branching, and remove faded blooms. Before frost, move the container under cover or lift the tuber for cool, dry, dark, frost-free storage through winter. Remove faded blooms before seeds develop so the clump directs its energy toward new buds until the first frost arrives. Always water slowly at soil level, then let the upper layer breathe to balance freshness, oxygen, and free drainage around the tuber. Cream, soft pink, and rosy beige tones combine especially well with blue, white, or purple perennials and lightly textured grasses.

Growth and flowering

Size, flowering & harvest

Mature height

Environ 90 cm selon le fournisseur

Width / spread

Environ 50 cm

Flower color

Creamy white with a soft pink blush

Foliage color

Green

Foliage type

Deciduous

Growth rate

Fast

Growth habit

Érigé et buissonnant

Fragrance

Non parfumé

Bloom period

Flowering generally begins in midsummer and continues until the first frost. Pinch young shoots to encourage branching, remove faded blooms continuously, and harvest fully open stems. For an especially large 13 cm flowerhead, remove the side buds.

Harvest

July to October. Cut fully open flowers for the best vase life.

Garden companions

Garden associations

Companion plants & uses

Companion plants

Pair its cream and soft pink tones with blue salvias, white gauras, chocolate cosmos, purple coneflowers, violet verbenas, and airy grasses. Avoid very dense neighbours that block airflow around foliage or plants requiring constantly saturated soil. Remove faded blooms before seeds develop so the clump directs its energy toward new buds until the first frost arrives.

Other recommended plants

Associez-le aux cosmos blancs, aux sauges et aux graminées aériennes pour créer une scène légère.

Garden use

Place Sweet Nathalie near the centre of a border, beside a cutting-garden path, or in a large container where its complex gradient remains visible. Repeat two or three plants at 50 cm to create a cream-and-blush rhythm without forming an overly dense mass. Use airy grasses behind and white gauras or blue salvias in front so stems remain visible. Discreet support prevents 13 cm flowerheads from leaning after rain. Harvest regularly for arrangements and remove faded blooms to maintain the display until frost. Keep the base accessible in autumn because the tuber must be lifted and stored away from freezing in cold Canadian regions. Remove faded blooms before seeds develop so the clump directs its energy toward new buds until the first frost arrives. Always water slowly at soil level, then let the upper layer breathe to balance freshness, oxygen, and free drainage around the tuber. Cream, soft pink, and rosy beige tones combine especially well with blue, white, or purple perennials and lightly textured grasses.

Frequently asked questions

When should Sweet Nathalie dahlia be planted?

Plant the tuber after the final frost once soil has warmed and no longer remains saturated. Lay it 10 cm deep with the bud upward in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil. Leave 50 cm around the crown and install support immediately. In a cold region, start it in a pot four to six weeks earlier, then acclimatize the shoot gradually before moving it outdoors. Water very sparingly before emergence to prevent rot, then increase moisture when roots and stems become active. Full sun develops sturdy stems and intensifies the creamy white and soft pink contrast through the flowering season.

What colours do Sweet Nathalie flowers display?

Sweet Nathalie is especially prized for arrangements because its 13 cm flowers combine a practical size, regular stems, and a cream-blush palette that pairs easily. Harvest flowerheads fully open early in the morning, since dahlias open very little after cutting. Use a clean tool, place stems in water immediately, and remove submerged foliage. Combine them with cream zinnias, chocolate cosmos, and silver foliage. Frequent harvesting also encourages the plant to produce new buds until the first frost while keeping the clump tidy, balanced, and productive throughout the cutting season. Refresh vase water regularly and trim the stems to extend their attractive indoor display.

How should Sweet Nathalie be supported and encouraged to bloom?

Install a sturdy stake at planting so roots are not injured later. Tie stems with soft material as they rise. Pinch the young shoot at 20 to 30 cm to encourage several branches. Water deeply at soil level whenever the surface dries, then let excess moisture drain away. Incorporate mature compost initially and use moderate fertilizer richer in potassium once buds form. Avoid excessive nitrogen, which produces soft stems and abundant foliage. Remove faded flowers regularly so energy supports later buds until frost. Shelter the clump from strong wind and check ties after heavy rain to prevent rubbing or constriction.

Can Sweet Nathalie grow in a large container?

Yes. Choose a stable 40 to 50 L container that is deep, generously perforated, and filled with a rich yet airy growing mix. Plant one tuber 10 cm deep and insert support before roots expand. Set the pot in full sun with shelter from strong gusts. Water sparingly before emergence, then thoroughly whenever the upper layer dries, never leaving water in the saucer. Apply moderate liquid feeding richer in potassium as buds form. Rotate the container weekly, pinch the young shoot, and remove faded blooms to maintain a balanced outline and a generous display of creamy white and soft pink flowers through summer.

How should Sweet Nathalie be overwintered in Canada?

After the first frost blackens foliage, cut the stems while leaving a short section. Lift the tuber with a fork, working far enough away to avoid injury. Gently remove excess soil, let its surface dry in a ventilated place, and label Sweet Nathalie clearly. Store it in darkness somewhere cool, dry, and frost-free, using a lightly insulating material that limits shrivelling without holding water. Inspect it monthly. Remove only sections showing active rot and increase ventilation if condensation appears. Wait until after the final spring frost, when soil has warmed and drains freely, before planting the tuber outdoors again for another flowering season.

Wildlife and pets

Wildlife & precautions

Reported toxicity

Yes

Supporting wildlife

Highly double flowers offer little accessible pollen or nectar. To support bees and butterflies, pair Sweet Nathalie with salvias, verbenas, sweet alyssum, or other resource-rich single flowers, and avoid pesticides on neighbouring flowerheads. Remove faded flowers regularly to support the formation of new buds. Support installed early protects stems when flowerheads become wet after rain.