If you've ever marveled at a creamy, blushing flower head that reaches to 9 inches, it's probably a cafe au lait dahlia. In recent years, these gorgeous blooms have become a beloved favorite of brides, event planners, photographers and cut flower enthusiasts alike.

Stunning in both color and size, cafe au lait dahlias (sometimes called au lait royal) are what's known as dinner plate dahlias, due to their huge flower heads. Cafe au lait dahlias are also part of the "decorative dahlias" groups, with flowers that bloom with large, flat-tipped petals.

The good news is that home gardeners can grow cafe au lait dahlias. With their cream-to-blush petals and lovely flowers, these blooms are a showstopper from late summer to fall.

Here's everything you need to know about cafe au lait dahlias in the garden, with growing tips from planting and saving tubers to harvesting.

Growing Cafe au Lait Dahlias

Growing cafe au lait dahlias is easy, given the right growing conditions. Start by choosing a planting site with rich, well-drained soil. Loosen heavy or clay soil with peat moss or compost.

Dahlias prefer full sun exposures, or sites with at least 6 to 8 hours of light each day. They can also grow in partial sun exposures.

Plant cafe au lait dahlia tubers in spring, after the danger of frost has passed. The soil must be about 60 degrees F for dahlia tubers to thrive.

Dig a hole about 6 inches deep, and place the bulb with eyes facing up. Cover with a few inches of soil. Don't fertilize, add mulch or water the tubers at planting. Space the holes about three feet apart.

Once sprouts appear, you can water the dahlia plants. After that, deep water your au lait dahlias two to three times a week.

Apply a 5-10-10 or 10-20-20 fertilizer after the plants sprout. Reapply every three weeks from mid-summer until fall.

Cafe au lait dahlia plants grow up to 5 feet tall, with huge, heavy flower heads. Stake them to provide support.

Harvesting Cafe au Lait Dahlias

Cafe au lait dahlias make beautiful cut flowers. Since the blooms are so large, it just takes a few to make a show-stopping arrangement.

Harvest cafe au lait dahlias starting in summer. Cut flower heads when buds are about 3/4 open, and still very fresh.

Have a clean bucket of cool water ready, and harvest the dahlia 'cafe' stem directly into the water. Strip off any leaves first.

If it's warm outside, place your cut cafe au lait flowers into a refrigerator or cooler. In the fall, when temperatures are lower, you may keep the cut flowers in an air-conditioned room. Blooms should last for five to six days.

Saving Cafe au Lait Dahlia Tubers

If you live in USDA hardiness zones 8 to 10, cafe au lait dahlias grow as perennials, coming back year after year. Here, you can leave dahlia plants in the soil over the winter. Just add some protective mulch over the soil to protect the bulbs and roots from any frost.

If you live in USDA hardiness zones 7 and lower, dig up dahlia tubes after the first frost. Save bulbs over the winter, and replant in the spring.

To store dahlia bulbs, wait until a frost causes foliage to turn yellow. Then cut it back to a few inches above the soil.

Carefully dig each dahlia bulb from the soil before the first freeze. Remove excess soil from the tubers and let them dry for a few days or weeks.

Pack bulbs in vermiculite, sand or peat moss in baskets, paper or fabric bags, or cardboard boxes. Store the dahlia tubers over the winter in a well-ventilated place, at about 45 degrees F.

Cafe au Lait Dahlias in Pots

You may grow cafe au lait dahlias in pots. Choose large containers with a 12 to 14-inch diameter, as the dahlia 'cafe' plant will grow tall with thick stems.

Make sure pots have excellent drainage, as dahlia tubers can rot if they're too wet. Use a rich, all-purpose potting soil and mix in a little slow-release fertilizer.

Place soil on the bottom of the pot and place a dahlia tuber on the soil, with eyes facing up. Carefully add more soil around the tuber, making sure there aren't any air pockets.

After the tuber sprouts, keep the soil moist but not wet. Place pots in full sun with direct light exposure, but move them to a shaded spot if the containers get too warm during the hottest part of the day.