(You can find the dahlia shop here: https://www.fruperenn.se/produkt-kategori/dahlior/#content )
My name is Sara Ljunggren, and I have been singing and working with music for as long as I can remember. I have performed on some of Sweden’s biggest stages, played lead roles in musicals, sung in Hollywood films, and been at the center of the action. In short, I’ve lived a pretty hectic life.
Until a dahlia bit me.
Things moved quickly after that! A hobby evolved into a passion, and that passion laid the foundation for a business. Yet, despite my love for this amazing flower, I noticed that not all varieties could withstand our harsh Nordic climate. Broken stems, nodding flower heads weighed down by Swedish summer rain and strong winds from Halland—it wasn’t fun.
An idea was born: what if I could develop hardier varieties myself? Ones better suited to the sometimes bleak and windy environment, conditions where dahlias don’t naturally thrive here in the North.
I began the work of breeding new varieties, selecting only the best and strongest to carry forward.
In 2025, I was finally able to launch my own line of Swedish dahlias under the name SVARTNÄSETS® DAHLIOR! Collaborating with other fantastic Swedish growers to develop dahlias suited to our climate is a passion I wish everyone could experience. While dahlias still aren’t perfectly suited to the Nordic climate, my varieties are hardier, tougher, and stronger than most—even if they do still need a little ”support in life.”
Since it takes several years to stabilize a new dahlia variety, it is a pursuit that requires a great deal of patience. My criteria for Svartnäset Dahlias are clear:
- Wind and rain resistant
- Highly productive
- Fill a gap in the market
- Good tuber production
- Strikingly beautiful
- Excellent stem length and vase life
- Sturdy flower heads
- Go straight to the heart
I make my selection based on these criterias, and the seedlings must prove themselves over several years (at least 3, preferably 4 or 5) before they reach the market—and perhaps, eventually, your own garden!
Currently, all dahlias are sold as cuttings, but tuber production is planned for the future.
TRADEMARK PROTECTION
SVARTNÄSETS® is a registered trademark.
What does this mean in practice?
If you are a home gardener, nothing changes. Grow them, divide them, give them away, sell the cut flowers, use them as raffle prizes—enjoy them however you like. Nothing makes me happier than seeing an entire garden filled with Svartnäsets® dahlias!
If you wish to sell tubers or cuttings, or propagate SVARTNÄSETS® varieties, you need a license. This simply means we agree on the terms before you offer them for sale. Arranging a license costs nothing—just contact me, and we’ll sort it out!
Why use trademark protection at all? Because it ensures that what reaches you as a SVARTNÄSETS® variety is the genuine article—true to its name, healthy, and worthy of the time you spend in your garden.
Kristine Albrecht at Santa Cruz Dahlias in the US has put together an excellent overview of what trademark protection entails here: https://santacruzdahlias.com/trademarks
