Dahlias are herbaceous plants, orginally native to northern Central America where the large edible tubers were cultivated as a food crop. Its popularity as an ornamental plant came much later as new varieties were hybridised by breeders. The bright showy flowers come in a range of colours and forms ranging from delicate singles to huge doubles that can grow up to a foot in size. These pressed medium sized petals are a rich shade of velvety, dark purple.