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Zinnia
Zinnia elegans
Zinnia blooms from June through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Zinnia
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. Expect it to reach about 2.5 ft tall and 1 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Zinnia
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Zinnia into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from June to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Zinnia get?
2.5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult1 ftwideSee Zinnia in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Zinnia
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Zinnia about 1 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Zinnia to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Zinnia's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 12 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionZinnia elegansheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionZinnia, genus entryheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- University of Florida IFASUF/IFAS Extension, FPS-623 Zinnia spp.height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenZinnia elegansheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- asu.eduArizona State University plant library, Chris Martin (Zinnia elegans)height, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterHow to Grow Zinniasheight, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Cornell Cooperative ExtensionZinnia, medium height cultivarsheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- University of Wisconsin HorticultureZinniasheight, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Chicago Botanic GardenZinniaheight, sun and trait tags
- Iowa State University ExtensionZinniasheight, sun and trait tags
- University of Florida IFASUF/IFAS Extension Gardening Solutions (Zinnia)height, sun and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionZinniaheight, sun and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 13 varieties across 6 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
- Benary's Giant Wine
- Coral
- Envy
- Magenta
- Orange
- Pink
- Profusion Cherry
- Profusion White
- Purple
- Queen Lime Orange
- Uproar Rose
- White
- Yellow
Compare every variety in the Zinnias group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benary's Giant Wine | Red | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 1.5 ft |
| Coral | Orange | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 1 ft |
| Envy | - | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 1 ft |
| Magenta | Pink | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 1 ft |
| Orange | Orange | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 1 ft |
| Pink | Pink | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 1 ft |
| Profusion Cherry | Pink | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 16 in × 16 in |
| Profusion White | White | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 16 in × 16 in |
| Purple | Purple | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 1 ft |
| Queen Lime Orange | Orange | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 1 ft |
| Uproar Rose | Pink | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 3 ft × 1.5 ft |
| White | White | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 1 ft |
| Yellow | Yellow | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 1 ft |
| Zinniathis page | Red | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 1 ft |
Good to know about Zinnia
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
The same petal-doubling that makes a showy cut-flower head breeds out the nectar and pollen, so plain single and semi-double open forms feed bees and butterflies best. per Illinois and Minnesota
When to deadhead
Standard tall and cut-flower zinnias need regular deadheading to keep blooming to frost; the self-cleaning Profusion and Zahara series set new flowers above the old and need none. per NC State and Minnesota
Drought-tough or steady moisture
Once established zinnias shrug off heat and drought, but steady moderate moisture (about 1 inch a week) still gives the best, most disease-free bloom. Soggy soil invites fungus. per Wisconsin and Clemson
Its signature disease
Powdery mildew is the signature zinnia disease. Full sun, wide spacing for air flow, base-watering to keep leaves dry, and mildew-resistant series are the front-line defense. per Clemson and Wisconsin
Easy and fast from seed
One of the easiest annuals from seed: sow it right where it will grow after frost in warm soil, and it sprouts in about 4 to 8 days. per NC State
Premier cut flower
A premier cut flower for summer bouquets: vase life about a week, sometimes up to two, and frequent cutting only spurs more bloom. per Clemson
Safe around pets
The ASPCA lists zinnia as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. A pet that eats a lot might get mild, passing stomach upset, but there is no toxic principle. per ASPCA and NC State
What pairs well with Zinnia
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Flowering Crabapple
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; stands well above at 20 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
False Indigo
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Sea Thrift
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage.
Wisteria
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
Viburnum
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 6.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Freesia
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
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