ABC TV | How To Make Dahlia Paper Flower #2| Flower Die Cuts (Slowly) - Craft Tutorial

Template: Florall indigenous to the highlands of Mexico and Guatemala, the dahlia flower first arrived in Europe in the 1500s, following the defeat of the Aztec Indians by Spanish conquistadors. Dahlias were introduced to Spain by returning botanists, who had accompanied the Spaniards to the New World. In 1789, Vincente Cervantes, director of Mexico City’s Botanical Gardens, sent dahlia seeds to Spanish botanist Antonio Cavanilles of Madrid. Eventually, Cavanilles sent dahlia bulbs to Swedish botanist Andreas Dahl, for whom the dahlia is named. Dahl helped popularize the flower throughout Western Europe and Scandinavia. Symbolizing hope for an everlasting union between two people, dahlia flowers are presented to couples at engagement parties and weddings. These flowers, which bloom in white and a variety of showy hues, including pink, crimson, orange and yellow, are given as an anniversary gift in celebrat