I believe that our Australian Dahlia breeders deserve to be acknowledged and rewarded for their hard work in bringing new cultivars to our Australian market.

While there are no legal requirements for royalties or patents related to selling Dahlias, I feel it is my responsibility as someone who distributes these beautiful plants, to honour the person that created them.

In the US there are now a number of programs focused on supporting Dahlia breeders, giving them a greater ability to focus their resources on what they do best, breeding Dahlias. Tuber & cutting prices overseas are much higher than they are in Australia, which is a true reflection of both the work required to grow them as well as the work required to breed them (this takes more than three years of incredibly intensive work for breeders). I would love to see our local breeders acknowledged in the same way.

My goal is to thank and support our breeders in the form of royalty payments, and hopefully encourage others selling named varieties of Dahlia tubers & cuttings to do the same. Our breeders are working so hard to create an amazingly varied offering for us in Australia, that both compares to what is available overseas and inspires growers and breeders around the world.

Breeders typically only see any significant financial gain in the first year or two after release, as the large number of us who collect their new cultivars start sharing them as well. I believe it is only fair that we contribute to their breeding programs when they have worked so hard to release these beautiful flowers to us.

In 2024, I started paying a selection of Australian Dahlia breeders a royalty fee of $1 per tuber for each of their cultivars that I sold. That will continue and expand this year as more breeders are included in the program. Royalty payments will be made for sale of both tubers and cuttings and will include each breeder's entire collection.

DAHLIA BREEDER PARTNERSHIPS

In 2025 my royalty program includes:

Lorelie Merton of Florelie Seasonal Flowers

Kate Mungoven of Lileah Dahlias

Daryn Brown of Darbro Dahlias

Steven Wedd of Coorabell Dahlias

Everbloom Family of New View Farmers

Emma Scott of Blue Gum Valley Farm

The following fabulous breeders are joining my program this coming season:

Erica Watson of Erica's Garden Flowers

Emma Horswill of Earthenry Farm

Gosia Krupa of Dahlia Hills Farm

Sidonie Barton of Wintermist Flower Farm

My Dahlia collection is focused on premium quality cut flower cultivars and rare specialty varieties/cultivars. I am always trialling new cultivars and seedlings each year from current and new breeders and will certainly share with our community any new and exciting breeders that I am lucky enough to discover. This year's trials include:

Anita Lee-Archer of The Queen of Mayfield

Cheryl Grealy of Willow Creek Flowers

Bec McConnell of Serenade Dahlias

Tim Drewitt of Drewitts Bulbs (Xanzu prefix)

If you are a customer wanting to support our Australian Dahlia breeders, I recommend trying to source your tubers and cuttings directly from the breeders first, then from those suppliers who support our breeders with royalties from your purchases.

HOW TO PAY DAHLIA TUBER/CUTTING ROYALTIES YOURSELF?

The links below take you to royalty payment option for each breeder - enabling anyone selling Dahlia tubers or cuttings to pay royalties directly to these breeder in support of their breeding programs.

Lorelie Merton of Florelie Seasonal Flowers:

florelie.com.au/products/royalty

Kate Mungoven of Lileah Dahlias

lileahdahlias.square.site/breeder-royalties

Daryn Brown of Darbro Dahlias

www.paypal.com/paypalme/DarynBrown853

Steven Wedd of Coorabell Dahlias

Steven Wedd is a key contributor to the Dahlia Society of Australia (DSA) and he would like any Coorabell royalties paid to the 'Dahlia Society Research and Development' account for projects including virus research, etc:

BSB - 083004

Account Number - 878779497

The Everbloom Family of New View Farmers

newviewfarmers.com.au/products/breeder-royalty-payment

Emma Scott of Blue Gum Valley Farm

Please contact Emma directly for her bank details