Dahlia and Zinnia Prices Per Stem: What Small Flower Farms Charge

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Quick answer: Small farms commonly sell zinnias for about $0.75 to $1.50 a stem and dahlias for about $1 to $3 a stem, with large or fancy dahlias at the top of that range and above. Wholesale prices to florists sit at the low end; single-stem retail and premium varieties sit at the high end. Your own cost per stem sets the floor.

Real examples

One Pennsylvania farm’s published wholesale list prices 10-stem bunches at $9 for zinnias ($0.90 a stem), $10 for single or open-centered dahlias ($1 a stem), and $20 for double or fancy dahlias ($2 a stem), with a $100 minimum order. That is a useful benchmark for florist pricing, because wholesale is typically the lowest price a farm offers.

At retail and for events, dahlias climb. Premium blooms bought through florists or suppliers can run several dollars a stem, which is exactly why a grower selling straight to the customer has room to price above wholesale.

Why dahlias cost more than zinnias

  • Yield: A zinnia plant keeps producing all season if you keep cutting. A dahlia, especially a large dinnerplate type, gives fewer stems per plant.
  • Inputs: Dahlia tubers cost far more than zinnia seed, and they need staking, disbudding, and winter storage or replacement.
  • Fragility: Dahlias have a shorter vase life and bruise easily, so more stems end up unsellable.

Fewer sellable stems plus higher inputs means a higher cost per stem, which has to show up in the price.

How to set your own per-stem price

  1. Find your cost per stem. Total cost to grow the crop (tubers or seed, amendments, irrigation, a share of supplies) divided by stems you actually sold. Do not divide by stems planted; waste is real.
  2. Choose your channel. Wholesale to florists sits low, market bunches in the middle, single premium stems and event work at the top.
  3. Check the gap. If your price is not comfortably above your cost per stem plus your time, you are funding your customers.

What works here is pricing each variety on its own instead of one flat stem price. A flat price usually overcharges for zinnias and undercharges for dahlias.

Frequently asked questions

Should I price dahlias by size?
Yes. Many farms price dinnerplate and fancy doubles higher than small ball or single types, because they yield fewer stems and sell for more.

Is $1 a stem too low for zinnias?
For wholesale bunches it is common. For single-stem retail or mixed bouquets, many growers price higher. Check it against your cost per stem.

How do I price a mixed bunch of dahlias and zinnias?
Add up each stem at its own price, then add supplies and bunching time. A pricing calculator does this in seconds.

Price every variety without the math

The Bouquet & Market Pricing Calculator ($7) turns your stem costs into a price for every bunch and bouquet size. For per-stem costs across 35 varieties, the Flower Farm Pricing Toolkit ($27) has a ready-made reference.

More pricing guides: Flower Farm Pricing Hub · How to Price Cut Flowers Per Stem and Per Bunch

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