Scientific Name:
Zinnia elegans
Pronunciation:
ZINN-ee-uh ELL-ih-ganz
Common Name:
zinnia
Family Name:
Asteraceae
Plant Type:
Annual (true), Flowering cut plant
Key ID Features:
Stems hairy, branching, mostly <1m tall; leaves opposite, simple (unlike dahlia), ovate to lance-shaped, up to 3-8(-12)cm long x (1-)2-4(-5)cm wide, usually lacking petioles with blade clasping the stem; heads 5-15cm wide, ray corolla number and colour highly variable.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Pyramidal - widely
Texture:
Very coarse
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.1 - 0.3m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Mexico
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 2: (-46 to -40 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Bedding plant, Container planting, Cut flower or foliage, Group or mass planting
Additional Info:
Google. Images shown include various Zahara series cultivars. Compare to narrowleaf zinnia (leaves up to 7 cm long x 7 mm wide).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite, Sessile
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Lanceolate, Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Obtuse, Sheathing, Truncate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Head (capitulum)
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Corolla Shape:
Ligulate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
White, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Pink, Red
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Fruit Type:
Achene
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Red, Dark brown
Additional Info:
branching angled stems
Propagation:
Seed
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids or adelgids, Beetles or weevils, Fungal leaf spot, Mildew, Root rot, Thrips, Whitefly or psyllids, Wilt (Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
Specific Pests:
