Dahlia-hybridizer

About the Breeder

Eric Breed of Lisse, the Netherlands, started hybridizing dahlias as a hobby, using plants from his late father's dahlia collection to develop his first hybrids. Now his field is filled with so many of his colourful creations, it resembles a wildflower meadow.

He selected tall plants with large flowers in a variety of colours to breed the stunning varieties found in the Bee-Friendly Single-Flower Dahlia Mixture. Honeybees and bumblebees cannot resist their pollen, and the blooms also draw butterflies and hummingbirds.

To create the dahlias in the mix, Eric crossed spontaneous seedlings that he discovered in his front garden with single-flowering cultivars such as Bright Eyes and the "Bishop" series of dahlias. The Dutch breeder also incorporated the features of some imported varieties and, to create some dark ones for the mix, added genetics from Chocolate Cosmos, a highly sought-after, dusky-looking perennial.