Zinnia
Zinnia: Very colorful, great cut flower and butterfly attractor that can give you an entire border of color in a matter of weeks.
| Zinnia | Annual |
|---|---|
| Bloom Time | Late Spring to Frost |
| Light | Partial Shade - Full Sun |
| Water | Keep Moist |
| Diseases | Bacterial Wilt, Powdery Mildew, Blight, Wilt, Rot |
| Pests | Spider Mites, Caterpillars, Mealy Bugs |
| Propagation | Seed |
| Color | Lavender, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, White, Yellow |
| Zones | 2 - 11 |
| Features | Deer Resistant, Attracts Butterflies, Great Cut Flower |
Zinnia - 'Zahara White'
Zinnias are a fun plant to work with. You can buy just one packet of seeds and fill in a whole area in a very short time - just a matter of weeks in fact.
Your border will be bursting with colors of the rainbow with these fast-growing very colorful blooms.
There are assorted shape and sizes of plants available too, ranging from the dward sizes all the way up to 4 foot giants.
You can also find quill-leaved Zinnias, spider types and multi-colored cultivars.
Zinnias are one of the great cut flowers you can use around the house to bring splashes of color in every room, with their long-lasting blooms.
Other features of this very versatile plant is that some varieties attract butterflies and all varieties are deer resistant.
Zinnias grow quickly from seed sown right in the ground and do best in full sun with dry to well-drained soil.
Propagation is done with seeds, sewn directly in the soil after all danger of frost has disappeared.
Zinnia -'Zahara Yellow'
Spider Flower:
Spider flower makes an airy-looking backdrop behind the more solid-looking zinnia plants.
French Marigold:
Shorter, pure yellow marigolds such as 'Janie' or 'Lemon Gem' make a charming border along the front of zinnias..
Salvia:
Victoria Blue salvia holds its own when planted near zinnias, and the cool blue color acts as a soothing transition between the bold zinnias and the rest of the garden.
Sprengeri Fern:
Distinctive fern that cascades in a delicate veil of fluffy branchlets. Provides excellent textural contrast. Where hardy, use in the landscape a ground cover or accent. In colder regions, use seasonally in decorative containers or combination pots, or as a houseplant.
Zinnia - 'Parasol'
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Benary's Giants Orange zinnia (Zinnia 'Benary's Giants Orange') is an excellent cut flower with large 4-inch-wide double orange blooms. It grows 38 inches tall and 2 feet wide.
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Magellan zinnia (Zinnia 'Magellan Mix') bears double blooms in a wide range of shades including red, pink, yellow, orange, and white. It grows 16 inches tall.
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Parasol zinnia (Zinnia 'Parasol Mix') bears fully double, petal-filled flowers in a range of shades. It grows 12 inches tall.
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Cut and Come Again zinnia (Zinnia 'Cut and Come Again') is especially free flowering and bears double flowers in a range of bright colors on a 4-foot-tall plant.
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Profusion White zinnia (Zinnia 'Profusion White') is an early-flowering selection with good disease resistance and white flowers all summer long. It grows 18 inches tall and 10 inches wide.
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Scarlet Flame zinnia (Zinnia 'Scarlet Flame') offers double red flowers on a vigorous, 42-inch-tall plant.
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Zahara Coral Rose zinnia (Zinnia 'Zahara Coral Rose') bears big flowers in a soft shade of pink. It's a disease-resistant, heat-loving plant that grows 18 inches tall and wide.
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Zahara Starlight Rose zinnia (Zinnia 'Zahara Starlight Rose') is a compact (to 18 inches tall and wide), award-winning selection with white flowers that have a distinct pink blush. It's very disease-resistant.
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Zahara White zinnia (Zinnia 'Zahara White') is a compact selection (to 18 inches tall and wide) with big white flowers. It's a disease-resistant, heat-loving variety.
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Zahara Yellow zinnia (Zinnia 'Zahara Yellow') produces big flowers in a bright, bold color on a disease-resistant, heat-loving plant that grows 18 inches tall and wide.
Zinnia - 'Coral Rose'
Spacing: Space 12 - 16" apart when planting
Fertilizer: Use an all-purpose once a month.
Water Requirements: Water 2 - 3 times per week until plants are established
Zinnias are great flowers to use as a cutting garden. With their multitude of sizes, shapes, colors and bloom types, they will give you lots of versatility within one species.
Plant them near pathways and benches in your garden to take advantage of their butterfly attraction feature. Be sure to use the bright red and pink to attract the most butterflies.
They can be used as border plants, container plants or in grouping according to color size and shape.
