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Zinnia
Zinnia elegans
Zinnia blooms from June through October.
Mature size, 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.
Growing Zinnia
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. Expect it to reach about 2.6 ft tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
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.
Comes in 13 varieties across 6 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Zinnia
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
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.
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.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
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.
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.
Viburnum
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 6.6 ft, for the layer behind it.
Lilac
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 9.8 ft, for the layer behind it.
Flowering Cherry
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; a soft color beside the red.
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