| Zinnia elegans | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Zinnia |
| Species: | Z. elegans |
| Binomial name | |
| Zinnia elegans Jacq. |
|
Zinnia elegans (Common zinnia, Youth-and-old-age), an annual flowering plant of the genus Zinnia, is the best known Zinnia.
Contents |
The uncultivated plant grows to about 30 in (76 cm) in height. It has solitary flowerheads about 2 in (5 cm) across on stems resembling daisies. The purple petals surrounding black and yellow discs. The lanceolate leaves are opposite the flowerheads.
The native Zinnia elegans is a wild desert plants found in Mexico, however garden varieties may escape and naturalise.
Flowers spring to fall.
The garden Zinnia is derived from hybridisation from the wild form. Zinnias are popular garden plants with hundreds of cultivars, with many flower colors, sizes and forms, including giant forms in which the flowerhead may be up to 6 in (15 cm) in diametre.
Flower colours cover a very wide range range from white and cream, through green and yellow, to apricot, orange, salmon, rose, pink and red, also bronze, crimson, scarlet, maroon, purple, mauve, violet, lavendar and lilac. Some are striped, speckled or bicoloured. The powdery mildew common to Zinnias in humid climates are less an issue among more recent varieties, which are resistant. The flower forms include single, double and semi-double, in addition to single. There are also "pompon" forms that resemble dahlias. Sizes range from dwarf varieties of less than 6 in (15 cm) in height to medium (45-60 cm) up to 3 ft (36 in., 0.75 - 0.9 m) tall.
Other cultivars include Magellan, Envy Double (Chartreuse-Green), Fireworks, Purple Prince, Blue Point Purple, Profusion Cherry, Profusion Orange, Star Gold, Star Orange, while Crystal White, Purity and Profusion White are white varieties. Seeds are often sold as mixtures to produce a rainbow effect, such as Giant Double Mix.
Zinnias grow easily and prefer loamy soil that is well drained. Exposure should be full sun. Hardy to all zones, they are relatively drought tolerant preferring dry and hot summers and are easily damaged by frost. Seeds should be sown in the spring, after the danger of frost has passed. Alternatively they may be grown indoors, six weeks before the last frost, and then planted out as 6-8 week-old seedlings. However they are very sensitive to transplanting. Although grown as annuals, they may reseed.