Gerald L. Klingaman
Family
Asteraceae
Botanical Name
Zinnia elegans 'Envy'
Plant Common Name
Elegant Zinnia, Envy Zinnia, Tall Garden Zinnia
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
No sunny summer flower garden is complete without the sure color of tall garden zinnias. The zinnia is an erect, bushy annual that originates from Mexico. It naturally inhabits open grasslands and it adapted to high heat. Its beauty and ease of growth helped it gain popularity as a garden annual in the early Nineteenth Century, and by 1858 the first double-flowered cultivar was introduced. Since then, hundreds of unique cultivars have been developed.
The tall zinnia is a warm season plant. It germinates readily in warm garden soil, so it is easily planted outdoors. Wild plants bear small, single, purple daisies with conical centers, but cultivated varieties come in a wide array of colors, forms and sizes. The flowers may be single, semi-double or fully double and the petals may be broad and flattened or fluted and pointy. Floral colors range from purple to pink, red, yellow, white, salmon and apricot. Bicolored varieties are also common. Zinnia blooms are very desirable to butterflies. Once pollinated, the flowers turn brown and release brown, flattened seeds that will germinate on their own if allowed to fall to the ground. Deadheading will encourage further bloom and keep plants looking clean and attractive.
Well-suited for both formal and informal garden plantings, tall zinnias grow best in average, well-drained soil and full sun. When the summer temperatures heat up they thrive, especially if provided regular water. As the summer wanes, zinnias often develop the foliar fungal disease, powdery mildew.
These are one of the best annuals for long-lasting cutflowers, and they look beautiful planted among other big, bold summer flowers with lots of color. Dwarf cultivars, like those in the Magellan Series, are better for smaller, tidier beds and containers. In tropical and subtropical climates these can be planted year round.
