I'm curious if it's actually possible to breed plants from zone 8 to become frost hardy enough to survive in zone 5. If it can be done, then why do we still see so few frost hardy dahlias that can endure colder climates?
2 Answers
In theory, yes, you can breed zone 8 plants to make them more frost resistant, but it's not a walk in the park. The way mutations work is pretty random, and breeding for cold hardiness specifically is a tough challenge. It's even trickier for plants that are usually tropical evergreens since they might not have experienced the cold or dormancy that kickstarts this adaptability. Historically, while there's definitely ongoing breeding for hardier dahlias, most of the new varieties we cultivate haven’t significantly increased their resistance to extreme temperatures. They've been slow to change even though it would be super beneficial!
Yes, you can breed them, but it's definitely a lengthy and costly process. It takes a lot of time and effort to develop frost-hardy varieties that can withstand those winter dips!
How long does it typically take to breed something like that?
Great insights! Just to expand on that, many plants struggle with moisture levels too—too much or too little can be a dealbreaker. In my zone 8 area, dahlias tend to rot during our wet winters, even if it's warm enough for them.