Growing 10 vibrant Zinnias: Floral options to consider
Top 10 Beautiful Zinnia Varieties for Your Garden
Zinnias, with their vibrant colors and impressive flower forms, are a popular choice among gardeners. Here are ten beautiful Zinnia varieties that are often praised for their garden performance and aesthetic appeal.
- Benary's Giant Salmon Rose
- Large flowers up to 15 cm (6 in) diameter, giant form
- Salmon-rose color
- Awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit
- Disease-resistant and drought-tolerant
- Benary's Giant Scarlet
- Giant flowers, vivid scarlet red
- Long bloom period, mildew-resistant
- Dreamland Mixed
- Mixed colors including pink, red, yellow
- Compact, medium height
- Resistant to powdery mildew
- Dreamland Rose
- Beautiful rose-pink flowers
- Medium height, good for borders and beds
- Dreamland Scarlet
- Bright scarlet flowers
- Disease-resistant with an extended bloom season
- Dreamland Yellow
- Cheerful yellow blooms
- Compact and resistant to common zinnia diseases
- Purple Prince
- Deep purple flowers, striking contrast in garden
- Robust and mildew-resistant
- Short Stuff Orange
- Dwarf variety less than 15 cm tall
- Bright orange pom-pom flowers resembling dahlias
- Zinderella Peach
- Peach-colored, pom-pom type flowers
- Compact, suited for containers or small gardens
- Zowie! Yellow Flame
- Bicolored yellow and red flower heads
- Large blooms, tall growth, excellent for cutting
Other popular varieties include ‘Magellan,’ ‘Envy Double,’ and mixes such as Candy Mix and Cupcake Mix featuring unique disc flower enlargement and tufted "scabiosa" flower types.
Growing and Cultivation
Zinnias thrive in full sun and well-drained, loamy soil. They are hardy plants that prefer dry, warm, frost-free environments and are often drought tolerant. Modern cultivars, like Dreamland and Benary’s Giants, have improved resistance to powdery mildew, making them easier to grow in humid regions. Heights vary from compact dwarf types (under 15 cm) to tall giants reaching 90 cm or more.
Notable Varieties
- 'Sprite Mix' zinnias make excellent cut flowers.
- 'Soleado' bears masses of single orange flowers on strong stems, easy to grow, resistant to rain, and will flower until the first frosts.
- 'Queen Lime' bears unusual lime green petals and works well with white or pale colours, and looks good with orange, crimson, or cerise flowers.
- 'Queen Red Lime' is a zinnia with red flowers with lime tips on each petal edge, growing to a height of 60cm, suitable for filling gaps in borders and container displays, and makes an excellent cut flower.
- 'Aztec Sunset' bears masses of double flowers in a variety of colours, on dwarf, bushy plants, with excellent weather resistance, ideal for dotting around a sunny border or planting in pots for a patio display.
- The red spider zinnia, Zinnia tenuifolia, is a delicate, spider-like zinnia with dainty, spider-like, scalloped flowers in a luscious red.
- 'Pop Art' is a zinnia variety that bears large, golden flowers flecked with red on tall stems. 'Pop Art' zinnias last well in water and make an excellent cut flower.
- 'Early Wonder' is a mix of single and semi-double zinnias in colours ranging from bright pink and yellow to red, growing to a height of 75cm, perfect for filling gaps in the border and also for container displays.
- Zinnia elegans has cultivated forms that grow as bushy annual bedding plants in vivid shades of red, orange, and deep pink.
- 'Purple Prince' is a tall-growing zinnia variety bearing striking double flowers in magenta with a lime green center. It's perfect for growing in informal, naturalistic situations with grasses and other tall-growing annuals.
These varieties represent a range of heights, colors, and flower forms, from large single blooms to double pom-pom shapes, suitable for diverse garden aesthetics and cutting gardens. The Royal Horticultural Society Awards lend extra credibility to their garden performance and beauty.
Enhancing the beauty of both your home-and-garden and lifestyle, these Zinnia varieties are perfect additions to your gardening endeavors. For instance, the 'Benary's Giant Scarlet' with its vivid scarlet red blooms offers long-lasting beauty and resistance to mildew, making it an excellent choice for any gardener. Additionally, the compact and disease-resistant 'Dreamland Mixed' featuring a mix of pink, red, yellow flowers, provides a vibrant, eye-catching display suitable for small gardens or containers.
