Zinnia elegans Seeds | Rose Zinnia
LATIN NAME: Zinnia elegans
COMMON NAME: Rose Zinnia
Plant Profile
Known to gardeners as Rose Zinnia, Zinnia elegans is an upright, bushy, annual in the daisy family. Rose zinnia turns its neat, many-petalled heads to sun, and bright flowers stand above rough leaves. Flowers have a long record as fine, easy cut flowers of warm gardens, and plant is a fine, generous presence of sunny bed. It is a plant of open, sunny, deep, well-drained ground. While it flowers, it feeds a quiet procession of bees and hoverflies. All of this makes Rose Zinnia a satisfying plant to grow and to get to know.
Science & Biotechnology
Botanists studying the daisy family regularly include Zinnia elegans in comparative work, and the species also appears in horticultural trials aimed at gardeners and growers. In the laboratory and trial ground alike, it serves as workable material for propagation research and line selection.
Uses & Benefits
Rose Zinnia works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. Rose zinnia is a fine, cheerful plant of sunny bed and cut-flower patch. It is a fine, cheerful plant of open, sunny, deep, well-drained garden. Give young plants warm, sunny spot, and heads will open in the first warm season. Once settled, it thrives on neglect more than on fussing.
Zinnias are the easiest of all cutting flowers and a feast for butterflies; they are pure summer happiness without medicinal pretense.
Growing from Seed
Seed is the natural starting point for Rose Zinnia, and the process is uncomplicated. Broadcast the seed thinly over a fine, free-draining compost, sieve a little more compost on top, and water with a fine rose. Prick the seedlings out once they are large enough to handle, grow them on in bright light, and plant out when conditions allow.
Our Take
Being an upright, bushy, annual, it asks for a permanent spot and repays it yearly. Sun, free drainage and a patient first year are all it really requires.
Related Reading
If Rose Zinnia appeals to you, these related plants are worth a look: