The English gardener, Drew English, tends to the gardens at High Hampton.
September is the perfect time to celebrate dahlias here on The Plateau, they’re blooming everywhere, and it’s easy to see why they’ve become one of our favorite flowers. But did you know they also have a long and fascinating history?
Dahlias are native to Mexico and Central America, especially the high mountains and plateaus. Long before they made their way into our gardens, ancient cultures grew them for both beauty and practical use. Some varieties have edible tubers, and their hollow stems were even used to carry water, maybe an early version of a straw! That idea might be a stretch, but it’s a fun one to imagine.
In the late 1700s, Spanish botanists exploring Mexico brought dahlias back to Europe. One of them, Antonio José Cavanilles, introduced them to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Madrid in 1789 and named them after Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. From there, dahlias spread across Europe, especially to France, Germany, and England, where gardeners started breeding new types and colors.
Today, there are over 50,000 named varieties of dahlias! They come in all sizes, shapes, and shades, from tiny pompom blooms to giant dinner-plate flowers. They’re especially popular in the U.S., the UK, Japan, and Mexico, where they’re still a big part of the culture. In fact, Mexico made the dahlia its national flower in 1963.
So how did dahlias become a big deal here on The Plateau?
We can thank Dr. William Stewart Halsted and Caroline Hampton Halsted for that. They were a couple who spent their summers in Cashiers starting in the late 1800s. Dr. Halsted was a famous surgeon, but it was Caroline who really brought the gardens to life at their mountain estate, High Hampton.
Caroline loved flowers, especially dahlias, and started bringing in all kinds of rare and beautiful varieties. Some of the tubers she grew were so special, they were worth over $1,500 each back then! Her gardens at High Hampton became well known, and the tradition has carried on ever since.
Today, High Hampton still has a big dahlia garden, and some of the original varieties are still blooming there. We now celebrate dahlias every year with festivals in both Highlands and Cashiers, featuring floral displays, bloom contests, and plenty of inspiration for your own garden.
So as you enjoy these colorful blooms popping up around town this September, you’ll know they’re more than just pretty flowers, they’re part of our history here on The Plateau.
Happy Gardening!
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