@Teddahlia "Spur leaves on stems are very small leaves that appear almost randomly along the stem and sometimes only one or two and sometimes even more. They are single leaves and probably are always less than an inch long and often smaller. They have been "declared" to be a fault by the ADS show flower people who do not like them and when they are on a show bloom judges nearly always say negative things to each other and use that as an excuse to award the ribbon to the other entry. The trait is definitely linked to the "wire" stemmed waterlily dahlias who usually have several of them. By the way, if you remove them with sharp knife they scar is generally quite apparent. For me, the "wire" stemmed dahlias are like a different species of dahlias and are known also for their height and Ridlings Wicked Witch(note we copied that name for one of ours) grew 12 feet tall."
I consider this a very desirable trait and would select for it if I were breeding WLs. The spurs do not detract from the bloom quality or presentation so it is an unfortunate bias by ADS judges. Lately, we have had many cloudy days and, since I am growing under shade cloth, most varieties will get limp, droopy necks because of the low light. Hollyhill Tiger Rose, on the other hand, has strong, wire stems and never droops. And she wears her spurs proudly!
