I love Dahlias. Ive never had the kind that need stakes. My only complaint is that they don't last very long. You get the tubers and plant them, and mulch them over winter, and maybe they will come back once or twice, or maybe they wont. and just now Ive gone to look where I put the dahlias, and none are to be found. So they are getting on my list of "more trouble than its worth" -- along with a few people I know.