A white flower with layered petals on a black background.

Crown Jewel

a Restoring Eden original dahlia
releasing in
2026

 Crown Jewel Stats

The Story

My first “big” dahlia year—175 plants in a backyard that felt like a kingdom. One day, late in the season, I watched Kristine Albright demonstrate hand-pollination with an envelope and a paintbrush and thought, certainly I can do that. I covered a few promising blooms with organza bags and, late in the season, managed one little experiment: Allie White × Lucky Number.

Weeks later, a seedhead dried down with six seeds. The following spring, I sowed 100 seedlings, among them six tagged with that cross—RE 22.23–22.28. From those rows, one flower opened with such poise and shimmer it stopped me cold—a jewel set in light.

Guiding tours through Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, I’ve lingered over crowns, scepters, and rooms made for ceremony. I could see this bloom there: upright and radiant, its open center like a sunlit gem, its petals flashing a pearlized, iridescent sheen. Regal yet approachable. Delicate yet bold. The name was inevitable: Crown Jewel.

In the garden, it stands tall and luminous; in arrangements, it brings air, movement, and glow. A reminder that sometimes a tiny experiment—an envelope, a paintbrush, some pollen, and six seeds—can turn into something worthy of a crown.

First Year Growers

This section will be dedicated to the first growers of Cornel Confetti in 2026!