The Black Dahlia is a strikingly dark and enigmatic flower, known for its velvety petals and deep, bewitching hue. This captivating plant has inspired legends and folklore, its allure intertwined with tales of forbidden love and tragic fates. The intertwining of botanical elegance and perplexing enigma renders the Black Dahlia a subject of fascination for both nature enthusiasts and those drawn to tales of the mysterious and uncanny.
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The Black Dahlia may be gone, but her story will forever haunt us, a reminder of the darkness that exists within us all.
James Ellroy (The Black Dahlia)
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The Black Dahlia Murder
In the early hours of January 15, 1947, the grisly corpse of aspiring actress Elizabeth Short was discovered in a vacant lot in the undeveloped neighborhood of Leimert Park in Los Angeles, California.
Short’s naked body was severed in two at the waist and her blood had been drained into a cement sack left nearby, leaving her skin a dull, ghostly white hue. The halves of her severely mutilated body were positioned a foot apart and placed into a deliberate pose as if modelling for a photo – hands over her head with elbows at right angles, legs spread apart. Short’s face was slashed from the corners of her mouth to her ears leaving her with a “Cheshire Grin” (a scar in the shape of a smile).
Investigators and an autopsy report confirmed that the gruesome murder took place just hours before the discovery.
- Ellroy, James (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 384 Pages – 09/01/2006 (Publication Date) – Grand Central Publishing (Publisher)
Originally named The Werewolf Murder by members of the press, Elizabeth Short’s slaying came to be known as The Black Dahlia Murder after investigators learned that she was given the nickname “Black Dahlia” by staff of a Long Beach, California drugstore she frequented. There were unconfirmed rumors at the time that Short earned this title due to a “penchant for sheer black clothes” and often adorning her dark hair with dahlias, and others that say the name is a spin on the 1946 film noir crime drama The Blue Dahlia.
- Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, William Bendix (Actors)
- George Marshall (Director) – Raymond Chandler (Writer)
- English (Publication Language)
The Black Dahlia Murder was never solved and soon after became something of a cultural phenomenon in American history. For more than 75 years there have been countless books, films, television appearances, and documentaries with reference to the event.
The Dahlia Plant
Prior to Elizabeth Short’s gruesome murder, the dahlia plant has been apparent in other mythos.
One widespread story, debunked by Martin Kráhl in Of Dahlia Myths and Aztec Mythology: The Dahlia in History, claims that the dahlia was a War Flower revered and worshipped by the Aztec civilization, its stem used in their irrigation and water supply systems, and that it somehow helped their Earth Goddess give birth to her son. Kráhl’s extensive research of the topic led him to emphatically rebuke the legend in 2018. He claims that there are no references at all to dahlias in the whole of Aztec history.
Kráhl also discovered that the only reason the dahlia is Mexico’s national flower to this day is because organizers of a floricultural exposition urged the Mexican president to name it thus in May of 1963.
Another tale of dahlias is linked to French Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais, wife to Napoleon Bonaparte. According to this elaborate legend, a French Minister embroiled in a Mexican smuggling conspiracy received a shipment of dahlia tubers concealing insects that produced a coveted red dye. Although the insects arrived dead, the minister opted to gift the tubers to the empress in place of the dye in an attempt to save face.
Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais, an avid gardener, planted the tubers and was enthralled by the beauty of the resulting flowers and the attention she received because of them. Since the empress was the only one in possession of the dahlias, she forbade anyone else from ownership in order to maintain the status quo. As stories like this often go, however, one of her ladies in waiting defied her embargo and the dahlias eventually spread throughout Europe.
It’s true that Joséphine de Beauharnais enjoyed gardening, but she is renowned as the Patroness of Roses, not dahlias. It’s an odd story and highly unlikely that she had anything to do with the dahlia’s proliferation throughout Europe.
Modern history indicates that dahlias were given their name in honor of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl in 1791 after being sent to France by Vicente Cervantes, director of the Botanical Garden at Mexico City in 1789.
Even the dahlia’s origins seem to be shrouded in mystery and mayhem. It’s no wonder that the flower is a symbol of instability in addition to elegance.
Caring for Black Dahlia & Other Varieties
It’s estimated that there are more than 57,000 variations of the dahlia and hundreds of new ones are cultivated annually. The different types have been classified into 14 categories. None of these variations has produced a truly black dahlia.
Black dahlia is a name given to multiple varieties with dark burgundy or violet petals, much like the black rose. “Black Satin” dahlias, “Black Beauty” dahlias, and “Votaniki Arabian Night” dahlias are among the darkest available. If you see photos of jet-black dahlias for sale, or seeds to grow, don’t be fooled by the misleading advertising. The photos are either manipulated to appear black or are photos of artificially dyed flowers, and the seeds are sure to fall short of your expectations.
Dahlias will grow in USDA Hardiness Zone 8 and most areas that do not experience a frost. Some outdoor growers in colder climates successfully store their dahlia’s tubers indoors during winter dormancy and re-plant them once temperatures rise again.
Dahlias require moist, well-draining soil, and prefer bright locations. Direct sunlight will produce the best results. Re-watering should only be done when the soil fully dries out in order to prevent risk of root rot.
The plants should be fertilized once a month during growing season with fertilizer high in potassium to encourage blooms. Dahlias need soil rich in minerals, so amending their soil with compost and manure is very beneficial.
Unfortunately, a healthy dahlia plant doesn’t attract just envy from others. Outdoor plants are prone to attracting insects, slugs and snails, so occasional misting with water that has some insecticidal soap mixed in is advised. The unparalleled satisfaction of growing the dahlia flower is worth the extra effort.
