Elegant Zinnia
Zinnia elegans
Also listed as Crassina elegans, Zinnia violacea
Also known as Garden Zinnia, Common Zinnia, Youth-and-age
Climate Match for your location
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Elegant Zinnia is a vibrant annual flower with abundant blooms in a wide range of colors, ideal for cutting gardens and summer color. It thrives in warm weather and produces flowers continuously from early summer until frost.
Why grow it
Zinnia elegans offers reliable, prolific flowering through summer and into fall with minimal deadheading required, making it a practical choice for continuous color in warm-season gardens. Compared to other annual zinnias, the species produces smaller, more densely petaled flowers suitable for cutting, though it typically reaches only 1-3 feet in height depending on cultivar. It tolerates poor soil and irregular watering better than many ornamentals, requiring mainly full sun and warm temperatures to establish.
Watch out for
Powdery mildew and spider mites are common problems in humid conditions or with overhead watering, so water at soil level and ensure adequate air circulation. Seedlings are frost-sensitive and perform poorly when transplanted into cold soil, so delay planting until soil temperatures consistently exceed 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native Range
Mexico
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Elegant Zinnia is a vibrant annual flower with abundant blooms in a wide range of colors, ideal for cutting gardens and summer color. It thrives in warm weather and produces flowers continuously from early summer until frost.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Elegant Zinnia grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Zinnia elegans offers reliable, prolific flowering through summer and into fall with minimal deadheading required, making it a practical choice for continuous color in warm-season gardens. Compared to other annual zinnias, the species produces smaller, more densely petaled flowers suitable for cutting, though it typically reaches only 1-3 feet in height depending on cultivar. It tolerates poor soil and irregular watering better than many ornamentals, requiring mainly full sun and warm temperatures to establish.
Watch out for
Powdery mildew and spider mites are common problems in humid conditions or with overhead watering, so water at soil level and ensure adequate air circulation. Seedlings are frost-sensitive and perform poorly when transplanted into cold soil, so delay planting until soil temperatures consistently exceed 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native Range
Mexico
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
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