Florelie Seastar Dahlia

A little coral, a little rose gold, a splash of sunshine, and petals that look like they're reaching for the stars. Florelie Seastar isn't interested in looking like every other dahlia in the garden.

Florelie Seastar is a wonderfully unusual Australian-bred dahlia with glowing coral-orange flowers, warm peach and rose-gold tones, and occasional hints of lemon gold. Its long, narrow, pointed petals create a loose, starburst appearance that gives each bloom a personality all its own.

Bred by Lorelie Merton of Florelie Seasonal Flowers in Victoria, Australia, and released in 2020, Seastar is a Miniature Informal Decorative dahlia that stands apart from the more traditional, tightly arranged decorative varieties.

The flowers typically measure approximately 3–4 inches across, while plants reach an impressive 4–5 feet tall. Its distinctive petals radiate outward in a wonderfully irregular arrangement, creating flowers that seem to dance rather than sit politely in place.

And the coloring? That's where things get especially interesting.

Some blooms lean toward glowing coral and peach, while others reveal warmer orange, rose-gold, and soft golden undertones. The result is a beautiful, sun-kissed combination that changes subtly between flowers and throughout the growing season.

But one of Seastar's most appealing characteristics is its exceptionally long flowering season.

According to its breeder, Seastar is often among the first dahlias to begin blooming and among the last to finish at Florelie. For gardeners who want color that keeps coming throughout the season, that's a particularly attractive quality.

There is one important distinction worth understanding about this variety. Although its unusual flowers can certainly be enjoyed in arrangements, Lorelie Merton considers Seastar better suited to garden growing than commercial cut-flower production.

That doesn't make it any less desirable. It simply means Seastar's greatest strength is putting on a spectacular show in the garden rather than being a dependable production variety for professional florists.

With its unusual petal structure, glowing warm colors, and extended flowering season, Florelie Seastar brings something genuinely different to the dahlia garden.

At a Glance

• Flower Form: Miniature Informal Decorative (M ID

• Bloom Size: Approximately 3–4 inches

• Color: Coral-orange, peach, rose gold, and occasional lemon-gold undertones

• Plant Height: Approximately 4–5 feet

• Productivity: Productive flowering

• Flowering Season: Exceptionally long, often among the earliest and latest to bloom at Florelie

• Cut Flower Use: Suitable for occasional arrangements; breeder recommends primarily for garden display

• Product Format: Rooted Dahlia Cutting

Breeder Information

Breeder: Lorelie Merton
Breeding Farm: Florelie Seasonal Flowers
Location: Bungaree, Victoria, Australia
Country of Origin: Australia
Release Year: 2020

Moose's Take

Some dahlias are perfectly round, beautifully organized, and look like every petal was placed with a ruler.

Florelie Seastar apparently missed that meeting.

Those long, pointed petals shoot off in every direction, and the combination of coral, peach, and rose gold makes the whole flower look like a little explosion of sunshine.

What really catches my attention, though, is the long flowering season. A dahlia that's among the first to start blooming and one of the last to quit certainly knows how to earn its place in the garden.

I also appreciate that Lorelie Merton is straightforward about this variety being better suited to garden display than commercial cutting. Not every dahlia needs to be a florist's workhorse. Some deserve to be grown simply because they're spectacular.

And with a name like Seastar, those wild petals seem perfectly appropriate. It looks like a starfish went on vacation to Australia, got a little too much sunshine, and came home wearing a coral-colored party hat.

If you're looking for an Australian dahlia with unusual starburst petals, beautiful warm coloring, and a wonderfully long flowering season, Florelie Seastar deserves a spot in your garden.