DLP Profile
Hall of Fame Nomination
Evergreen State Dahlia Association nominates Roland Verrone for the Federation of Northwest Growers Hall of Fame.
Roland’s interest in dahlias begin in the late 1980s when he was encouraged by Evie Gullikson to start growing and exhibiting dahlias at local shows. The first dahlia he exhibited was April Dawn. This was the beginning of a hobby which eventually turned into a very successful business for Roland.
Roland cultivated dahlias for over 30 years; during those 30 years he introduced more than 50 named dahlias using his last name as the prefix. Some of his most notable introductions included Verrone’s Sophie which won the 2006 Evie Gullikson Medal, Verrone’s Morning
Star which won the 2013 Stanley Johnson Medal, and Verrone’s Obsidian which caused the American Dahlia Society to add a new black color category to the color guide. Many Verrone introductions remain listed in the American Dahlia Society Classification and Handbook of Dahlias.
A detailed article (Pride of the Prairie) about Roland’s history as a dahlia grower and member of the dahlia society can be found in the 2014 issue of Dahlias of Today.
Roland was a very active member of the Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers during his dahlia-cultivating years. As a senior judge and mentor, Roland taught classes on growing, storing, form identification, and hybridizing dahlias. These classes were taught at both the local club level and at Federation meetings and judges training. He also served on the Evergreen State Dahlia Association board.
Several years ago, Roland moved to North Carolina to a climate not friendly to dahlias. He continues to maintain his membership in the Evergreen State Dahlia Association.