KA’s® Cinder Rose

KA’s® Cinder Rose Dahlia

Smoky mauve. Dusty rose. A whisper of gold. KA’s® Cinder Rose looks like somebody took a perfectly respectable pink dahlia, handed it to an antique dealer, and said, “Make this considerably more interesting.”

KA’s® Cinder Rose is a 2024 introduction hybridized by Kristine Albrecht of Santa Cruz Dahlias in California, United States.

And the color on this one refuses to behave.

Approximately 3.5-inch Miniature Formal Decorative blooms blend pink, dusty rose, and smoky mauve with the faintest touches of gold at the petal tips. Depending on growing conditions and temperature, blooms can lean creamier and warmer or develop richer pinkish-rose and mauve tones as the season progresses.

That variability is part of the magic.

Instead of giving you one flat shade of pink all summer, Cinder Rose moves through a beautifully muted palette that can look blush, antique rose, mauve, cream, and softly golden—sometimes seemingly all in the same flower.

The blooms hold a tight, beautifully organized Formal Decorative form, creating an elegant little flower that's especially useful in bouquets. Plants are approximately 3 feet tall, with strong stems and productive flowering.

Stonehouse has also reported particularly good performance in hot climates, which is a noteworthy trait for a flower whose coloring looks like it would rather be lounging dramatically in an English drawing room.

Apparently she's tougher than she looks.

The combination of unusual coloring, manageable bloom size, strong stems, and productive flowering makes KA’s® Cinder Rose much more than another collectible Kristine Albrecht introduction.

This one was made for the flower bucket.

At a Glance

Hybridizer: Kristine Albrecht
Farm: Santa Cruz Dahlias
Origin: California, United States
Introduction: 2024
Form: Miniature Formal Decorative
Bloom Size: Approximately 3.5 inches
Plant Height: Approximately 3 feet
Color: Smoky mauve, dusty rose, blush pink, creamy undertones, and subtle gold-tipped highlights
ADS Classification: Miniature Formal Decorative, Light Blend
Bloom Production: Productive
Stem Quality: Strong
Cut Flower: Excellent
Heat Performance: Reported to perform well in hot climates
Color Variation: Can shift from warmer, creamier tones toward pinkish rose and mauve as growing conditions and temperatures change
Why It’s Loved: Sophisticated shifting color, tight Formal Decorative form, strong stems, productive flowering, and outstanding bouquet potential

Moose’s Take

Cinder Rose is exactly why I have trouble taking color descriptions on dahlias too seriously.

“What color is it?”

Well... how much time do you have?

It's pink. Except when it's mauve. And dusty rose. And creamy. And then somebody apparently walked past with a tiny paintbrush and put a little gold on the tips.

That's what I like about it.

There are dahlias where you know exactly what you're getting from twenty feet away. Cinder Rose makes you walk over and inspect the thing because the color has layers to it. It's muted without being boring and romantic without looking like it fell face-first into a Valentine's Day display.

But pretty alone doesn't earn much space around here.

The roughly 3.5-inch bloom is a genuinely useful cutting size, the stems are reported to be strong, and growers describe it as productive. I also pay attention when a variety is reported to perform well in heat. Pretty flowers are wonderful. Pretty flowers that keep doing their job when summer gets rude are considerably more interesting.

So Cinder Rose gets points from the Moose on both sides of the ledger.

She's sophisticated enough for a wedding bouquet, productive enough for the cutting garden, and apparently tough enough to survive summer without requiring a fainting couch.

Dapper, useful, and just a little moody.

Yeah. That'll do.

Professionally grown rooted dahlia cutting. Ships April 1–May 15.