Zinnias

Overview of Zinnia

Zinnias are one of the most popular bedding plants. Most species in the genus Zinnia are native to Mexico and adjacent areas, and many have been used to develop a diversity of different types of ornamental plants.

Ranging from 8 inch mounds to rangy 3-4 foot tall plants, and with flowers in a rainbow of colors, there is something for everyone among the numerous cultivars and hybrids available. Flowers can be single, double, or semi-double in a range of forms, including dahlia types, cactus types, and anemone (or crested) types in a range of sizes and colors.

With large seeds that germinate quickly and grow into into tolerant, low-maintenance plants, zinnias are a good choice for children and beginning gardeners. Zinnias flower relatively quickly after sowing and provide season-long color throughout the summer. Zinnias thrive in hot and dry conditions, are attractive to butterflies, and taller types are excellent cut flowers. They are also resistant to deer damage and are tolerant of juglone toxicity when planted near black walnut trees.

Landscape Use of Zinnia

Zinnias grow best in full sun in well-drained soil. They can be seeded directly in the garden or landscape once the soil warms, or young transplants can be set out to get a jump on the season. You can include zinnias in borders, annual beds, mixed beds, pollinator gardens, and cutting gardens. Many cultivars work wonderfully in containers, while the taller types make a good backdrop for shorter bedding plants.

Many zinnias are affected by powdery mildew, especially when humid conditions prevail. Spacing to allow plenty of air circulation will help reduce this problem. Planting resistant varieties also helps reduce problems with powdery mildew.

Species and Cultivars of Zinnia

Zinnia angustifolia (creeping zinnia, narrow leaf zinnia)

An annual native to Mexico with narrow leaves and a low-growing habit. Plants grow best in full sun and are very drought tolerant, deer resistant, and their flowers attract pollinators. Plants flower from summer until frost. Cultivars include:

• ‘Classic’ is a mixed color variety that grows 10 to 20 inches tall and 6 to 12 inches wide with flowers in orange, white, and yellow.
• The ‘Crystal’ series is compact, growing 6 to 8 inches tall and 10 to 12 inches wide and has good tolerance to powdery mildew. Available in ‘Orange’, ‘White’, (1997 All-America Selections Winner), and ‘Yellow’.
• The ‘Star’ series grows 14 inches tall and 8 inches wide, with dark green leaves. It is available in ‘Gold’, with yellow flowers with orange edges, ‘Orange’ with solid orange flowers, and ‘White’, with white flowers with yellow centers.

Zinnia elegans (common zinnia)

The most commonly grown zinnia species has an upright habit with wide, coarse leaves and large flowers. Height, flower form, and flower color varies widely among cultivars. Cultivars include:

• The ‘Benary’s Giant’ series features very large (5 inch) double flowers on 36 to 42 inch tall plants with strong stems. Developed for cut flower production and offers improved vase life. Available in a wide range of colors, including ‘Bright Pink’, ‘Carmine’, ‘Coral’, ‘Deep Red’, ‘Golden Yellow’, ‘Lilac’, ‘Lime’, ‘Orange’, ‘Purple’, ‘Salmon Rose’, ‘Scarlet’, ‘White’, ‘Wine’, and a mix of all colors except ‘Lime’.
• ‘California Giant Mix’ is a popular older variety with large double flowers on plants that grow 3 to 4 feet tall. Flowers are a mixture of orange, pink, purple, red, white, and yellow shades.
• ‘Crestar Mix’ is a 2025 All-America Selections Winner that grows 18 to 24 inches tall with semi-double flowers with a tall central dome (crested or “scabiosa type” flowers) in shades of orange, pink, peach, red, white, and yellow. Makes a good cut flower.
• ‘Envy’ features large, semi-double pale green flowers on 2 foot tall plants.
• The F1 hybrid ‘Holi’ series features an abundance of large (3 to 3.5 inch) flowers on compact, well-branched plants that are very heat and disease tolerant. Grows 12 to 14 inches tall. Available in ‘Orange’, ‘Pink’ (2020 All-America Selections Southeast Region Winner), ‘Scarlet’ (2019 All-America Selections Winner), ‘White’, and ‘Yellow’.
• The Magellan™ series is an early blooming, large flowered, well-branched, F1 hybrid series growing 12 to 14 inches tall and 10 to 12 inches wide. Available in ‘Cherry’, ‘Coral’ (a 2005 All-America Selections Winner), ‘Ivory’, ‘Orange’, ‘Pink’, ‘Salmon’, ‘Scarlet’, ‘Yellow’, and a mixture of these colors.
• The ‘Oklahoma’ series grows 3 feet tall with 2 inch diameter semi-double and double flowers with good vase life and resistance to powdery mildew. Available in a range of colors, including ‘Carmine’, ‘Golden Yellow’, ‘Ivory’, ‘Pink’, ‘Salmon’, ‘Scarlet’,  ‘White’ and a mix. Developed for cut flower use.
• The ‘Queeny’ series (previously known as ‘Queen’ series) grows 30 to 40 inches tall and features large semi-double to double flowers a range of unique and unusual colors. All make good cut flowers. Available in ‘Lime with Blush’ (formerly ‘Queen Lime Blotch’) with chartreuse flowers highlighted with rosy red, ‘Lemon Peach’ (2022 All-America Selections Northeast Region Winner) with lemon yellow petals and a peachy orange center, ‘Lime’ with chartreuse green flowers, ‘Lime Orange’ (2018 All-America Selections Winner) with dark coral orange flowers changing to light peach as they age, ‘Lime Red’ with antique pink flowers with green tones and pink highlights, and ‘Pure Orange’ with vivid orange flowers that are somewhat smaller than other colors in the series.
• ‘Thumbelina’ (1963 All-America Selections Gold Medal) grows just 6 inches tall with flowers in a mix of pastel shades. The compact habit makes it ideal for containers, small gardens, borders, and edging.
• ‘Sombrero’ grows 15-18 inches tall with single flowers with deep red centers and yellow tips.
• ‘State Fair Mix’ is a tetraploid variety with large flowers in a mix of colors. It has good tolerance to powdery mildew and Alternaria leaf spot and is an excellent cut flower.
• ‘Whirligig Mix’ grows 26 inches tall with extra large, bicolor semi-cactus flowers in a mix of colors. A good cut flower variety.
• Zowie!™ Yellow Flame is a F1 hybrid bicolor variety that was an All-America Selections winner in 2006. Its vivid flowers are attractive and eye catching and make excellent cut flowers. Plants grow 24 to 28 inches tall.
• The Zydeco™ series features large, double flowers on compact plants that grow 14 to 20 inches tall and wide. Available in ‘Cherry’, ‘Deep Yellow’, ‘Fire’ (2025 All-America Selections Winner) with vivid burnt orange flowers.

Zinnia grandiflora (prairie zinnia)

This species is a zone 4a hardy perennial native to Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. It is very drought and heat tolerant and is adapted to high pH soil conditions. It blooms from summer to early fall and attracts pollinators. Plants are deer and rabbit resistant. Seeds and plants may be somewhat challenging to find for this species. Varieties include:

• ‘Gold on Blue’ is a vigorous, vegetative selection in the Colorado Plant Select® program that grows 8 to 10 inches tall and 18 inches wide.
• ‘Raider Gold’ is a seed propagated variety developed by Texas Tech University that grows about 12 inches tall and 40 inches wide, with a mounded habit and golden yellow flowers.

Zinnia haageana (Mexican zinnia)

This species has narrow leaves and an upright, somewhat sprawling habit. Plant in full sun to part shade. Plants are heat and drought tolerant and attractive to pollinators. Varieties include:

• ‘Aztec’ series has small, semi-double to double flowersd and grows about 18 inches tall. Available in ‘Burgundy Bicolor’, which features burgundy flowers with cream petal tips and yellow highlights, and ‘Sunset’ is a mix of semi-double and double flowers in shades of yellow, orange, cerise, burgundy, and bicolors.
• ‘Jazzy’ series grows 18 to 24 inches tall and features semi-double to double flowers. It is available in ‘Red’ with ruby red flowers with white tips and ‘Mix’ with flowers in a range of bicolor flowers in shades from cream white to gold to purple to mahogany red. Makes a good cut flower.
• ‘Old Mexico’ is a 1962 All-America Selections Winner with single to semi-double, red-orange flowers with golden yellow tips. Grows 12 to 18 inches tall with 2.5 inch flowers.
• ‘Persian Carpet’ grows 12 to 16 inches tall with small flowers in single and bicolor shades of yellow, orange, and red. An All-America Selections Winner in 1952.

Zinnia marylandica (hybrid zinnia)

Zinnia marylandica was developed by crossing Z. angustifolia and Zinnia elegans. This hybrid produces compact plants with strong heat tolerance, drought tolerance, and disease resistance. It makes a good bedding plant for front borders, in containers, for massing, or as a flowering annual groundcover. Plants are highly attractive to pollinators. Some hybrid varieties are listed as Z. hybrida. Varieties include:

• The ‘Profusion’ series offers compact, well-branched plants that grow 12 inches tall by 20 to 24 inches wide, in a variety of bright colors, all with good uniformity in flower timing and habit. Colors include ‘Apricot’, ‘Cherry’ (1999 All-America Selections Gold Medal), Cherry Bicolor, Fire (vivid orange), Lemon, Orange (1999 All-America Selections Gold Medal), Red (2017 All-America Selections Winner), Red Yellow Bicolor (2021 All-America Selections Winner with golden yellow flowers with red center rings that age to rosy shades), ‘White’ (2001 All-American Selections Gold Medal), and ‘Yellow’ (yellow with gold edges). There are also 4 formula mixes available.
• ‘Profusion Double’ series features the same characteristics as ‘Profusion’, but with semi-double flowers. Available in ‘Deep Salmon’ (2013 All-America Selections Winner), ‘Fire’, ‘Golden’, ‘Hot Cherry’ (2013 All-America Selections Winner), ‘Red’, ‘;White Improved’ (2026 All-America Selections Winner), and ‘Yellow’.
• The Zahara® series features large, single flowers, strong disease resistance, and a compact habit. Plants grow 12-18 inches tall and wide. Available in Cherry (variety ‘PAS1062891’), Fire (variety ‘PAS719124’), Raspberry (variety ‘PAS951089’), Red (variety ‘PAS1118265’), Starlight Rose (variety ‘PAS719128’, a 2010 All-America Selections winner) with white flowers with rose stripes, Sunburst (variety ‘PAS951097’) with golden yellow flowers with irregular red central rings, White (variety ‘PAS951083’), and Yellow (variety ‘PAS951086’). There are also several mixes available.
• Double Zahara™’ series grows 16 to 20 inches tall and wide with large, double flowers. It is available in Bright Orange (variety ‘PAS1246674’), Cherry (variety ‘PAS989992’, a 2010 All-America Selections Winner), Fire (variety ‘PAS1202206’, a 2010 All-America Selections Winner), Raspberry Ripple (variety ‘PAS1246684’) with light pink flowers with dark pink stripes, Salmon (‘PAS1246678’), White (variety ‘PAS989994’), and Yellow (variety ‘PAS1374895’). Mixes of all or a selection of these colors are also available.

Propagating Zinnia

Annual types of zinnias are easy to grow from seed. Seed can be direct sown after the danger of frost has passed in spring or started indoors 4 to 6 weeks earlier. Germinate at 65 to 70 F.

Z. grandiflora is slower to germinate than annual types and may take 2 to 4 weeks to germinate. Sow seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last expected spring frost. Germinate at 65 to 70 F.

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– Susan Mahr, University of Wisconsin – Madison

Last Update: Allen R. Pyle, UW-Madison Extension, 2026