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A Popular Flower

Grown any zinnias lately?  If so, you’re in good company.  These cheerful annuals are enjoying renewed popularity as more colorful, disease-resistant varieties appear on seed racks.  Zinnias are a natural for the butterfly garden, attracting many butterflies throughout their long blooming season.  Kids find zinnias quick to germinate and easy to grow.  And zinnias excel as cut flowers; their rigid stems hold long-lasting blossoms that don’t drop petals.

Native to Mexico and Central America, the genus Zinnia was named after Johann Gottfried Zinn, an eighteenth-century German botanist.  During the nineteenth century, European hybridizers worked on Zinnia elegans, a drab purplish wildflower, to develop brightly-colored double forms, such as dahlia-flowered zinnias.  The W. Atlee Burpee Company picked up the torch during the 1920s and introduced large cactus-flowered zinnias (named for their resemblance to cactus-flowered dahlias, not to cacti).

Recent introductions are making even bigger waves.  This year, Zinnia ‘Profusion Cherry’ and Z. ‘Profusion Orange’ were chosen as All-America Selections award-winners.  These bushy, single-flowered zinnias bloom for months, hiding spent blooms under new growth.  They are heat-tolerant and highly resistant to powdery mildew.  Flowers are up to 3” across on 12-18” plants; they resemble Burpee’s Pinwheel series.  Seeds are widely available.

The American Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers was equally impressed with two new giant zinnia series, descended from Z. elegans:  Blue Point (Benary’s Giant) and Oklahoma.  These fully-double flowers exhibit bright, uniform colors, sturdy stems with mildew-resistant foliage, and a long vase life.  Blue Point zinnias are truly giants (to 4’), forming 5” blossoms on sturdy stems.  Oklahoma (3’) is very mildew-resistant, with 2” blossoms.

Test gardeners across North America (except southern Florida) gave high ratings to Oklahoma and Blue Point in Organic Gardening [January 1998].  Long-time gardeners in California and New York called Blue Point zinnias “the best we’ve ever grown.”  Blue Point zinnias come in a dozen colors, such as ‘Purple Prince’ and ‘Scarlet Flame’, as well as in a formula mix (contains equal numbers of each color, rather than random assortment).

Testers also gave good ratings to ‘Cherry Vanilla’ and ‘Golddust’ zinnias, part of the Pinwheel series.  OG’s Florida tester singled out ‘Golddust’ as being very tolerant of heat and humidity.

Plenty of Zinnias

Most of the zinnias on the market are derived from Zinnia elegans. These garden zinnias have double or semidouble flowers on stiff stems.  Low-growing garden zinnias (6-18”) bear names that denote tininess: ‘Thumbelina’; ‘Lilliput’; Peter Pan and Lollipop series.

Taller garden zinnias include doubles/semidoubles (Oklahoma and Splendor  hybrid series, ‘Whirligig’, ‘Sunbow Mix’, ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’, ‘Candy Stripe’, and ‘Envy’—a unique chartreuse-green flower); dahlia-flowered (‘Giant Flowered Mix’, Blue Point/Benary’s Giant and Border Beauty series); cactus-flowered (‘Cactus Flowered Mix’); and scabious-flowered (‘Scabiosaflora Mix’).

If these Dolly Parton blooms aren’t to your taste, consider growing old-fashioned zinnias with single, daisylike flowers.   Start with Zinnia angustifolia (also known as Z. linearis).  This flower of the Aztecs grows in profusion from June until frost on a bushy, spreading plant about a foot high.  A great container plant, Z. angustifolia is drought-tolerant and mildew-resistant.  Classic Z. angustifolia bears 1” flowers with orange petals around a yellow center.  The Star series offers orange, gold or white flowers.

I’m partial to the coppery tones of Zinnia haageana (syn. Z. mexicana), an easy-care zinnia that performs until frost.  ‘Persian Carpet’ bears 2” double and semidouble flowers in a riot of autumn colors and patterns; plants reach two feet.  Mahogany petals tipped with gold characterize the 2” flowers of ‘Old Mexico’ (mostly double) and ‘Chippendale’ (single); plants are about 18” tall.

I also like the old-fashioned look of Peruvian zinnias (Z. peruviana, syn. Z. pauciflora), a flower that was favored by Thomas Jefferson.  The 1” single blossoms of ‘Red Peruvian’ fade with age from terra cotta to a soft brick red, perfectly illustrating zinnias' nickname, “Youth and Old Age.”  ‘Yellow Peruvian’ fades to a soft gold; both plants reach about two feet on stiff stems.  Peruvian zinnias may also be marketed as ‘Bonita Red’ or ‘Bonita Yellow’.

Native to the Southwest are two perennial zinnias: desert zinnia (Z. acerosa) and plains zinnia (Z. grandiflora).  Desert zinnia bears 1” white, daisylike flowers on a low, spreading plant.  Narrow leaves are evergreen, making Z. acerosa a good ground cover.  It prefers well-drained soil that is low in organic content.  Plains zinnia, with a similar growth habit, has yellow flowers.  It is more tolerant of cold, but it can be difficult to establish.

Butterflies Make Surprising Choices

Which zinnias are most attractive to butterflies?  Surprisingly, single-flowered, species zinnias aren’t the uncontested favorites.  In eastern Washington, where summers are hot and dry, Patti Ensor found Peruvian zinnias to be moderately attractive to small butterflies, such as skippers.  However, they didn’t hold a candle to the appeal of the large double, ‘Cut and Come Again’.  With its sturdy landing platform, this zinnia was a major attraction for Western Tiger Swallowtails, who lingered to sip nectar.  ‘Cut and Come Again’ blooms from midsummer to frost, in hot shades of pink, yellow, orange and scarlet.

Minnesota gardener Cathy Leece devotes a sizeable flower bed to zinnias of many shapes and colors.  She has found fritillaries to be the most avid visitors, alternating between the zinnias and swamp milkweed on sunny afternoons.  Last year, Leece planted single-flowered Peruvian zinnias in expectation of fabulous butterfly viewing.  She says, “I was surprised at how much the zinnias branched out and how tall they got.  They filled half the bed, crowding out the other varieties behind them.”

In spite of their enthusiastic growth habit, the Peruvian zinnias did not attract butterflies.  Blue Point Formula Mix and ‘Royal Purple’ [a Blue Point zinnia from Park Seed]  have been the most popular zinnias in Leece’s garden.  In particular, the big purple flowers are a magnet for fritillaries, American Painted Ladies and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails.  Moderately attractive zinnias include giant cactus-flowered, ‘Sunbow Mix’ and Z. angustifolia ‘Crystal White’ [Park Seed’s name for ‘Star White’].  Leece has found that ‘Envy’, scabious-flowered and (to her surprise) Z. haageana ‘Persian Carpet’ have not attracted visiting butterflies.

The Star series of Zinnia angustifolia proved to be most popular in Denise Gibbs’s Maryland garden.  Gibbs says, “‘Star White’ was the best, attracting blues, sulphurs, hairstreaks, skippers, Red Admirals, Painted Ladies and others.  It made a beautiful display, cascading over the edge of a planter on my deck.  ‘Star Gold’ was also attractive, but I saw little activity on ‘Star Orange’.”

Gibbs also grew Zinnia ‘Profusion Orange’ and ‘Profusion Cherry’.  In spite of their single flowers, they did not attract many butterflies.  The very similar Pinwheel series, however, attracted a diversity of species well into October.

Zen on a Stem

At Redbud Farms in rural Michigan, Sharon Baller has plenty of company in the zinnia patch.  Swallowtails, hummingbirds and sphinx moths seek nectar from zinnias and other nearby flowers, such as cleome.  Monarchs make forays from the milkweed in nearby fields, sometimes landing on her shoulder as she works.  Says Baller, “Butterflies love zinnias!  I have even observed hummers attracted to the zins, and the moths flit from flower to flower, staying longest on the four o’clocks, petunias and zins.”

Part of the 15-acre farm is left wild for the grass-nesting birds, bees and small animals who also live there.  Pine, spruce, maple, aspen, birch, black cherry and redbud grow in small groves, providing shelter and food for wildlife.  The farm contains many fruit trees and shrubs—a magnet for wildlife—and the Ballers have planted nut trees (hickory, black walnut, butternut, hazelnut) obtained from Michigan Department of Natural Resources' tree/ornamental shrub/wildlife packets, sold in spring and fall.

Baller takes armloads of cut zinnias and seeds to nearby farmers’ markets from midsummer to fall.  Van Dyke Zinnias, a business acquired by the Baller family last year, creates two seed mixes (each offered in various colors) from the many open-pollinated zinnias grown at Redbud.  The Supreme Variety Mix (Zen on a Stem) includes many large dahlia-flowered, cactus-flowered and double zinnias, such as ‘Cut and Come Again’.  The Mini Mix is made up of single, double and pompon zinnias up to two feet tall.

The Ballers plan to offer several other flower mixes this coming year, including a butterfly garden mix (see nursery list, following).

Growing Zinnias

Zinnias will reward you with bundles of colorful blooms from early summer until frost, provided that you give them rich, loamy soil in a sunny spot.  Don’t overwater; zinnias like hot, dry summers.  Cut frequently to encourage branching and to prolong blooming.  Resist the urge to line plants up singly as an edging; zinnias are more appealing (to us and to butterflies) as an irregular mass of bright colors.  Because each plant forms many side branches, weeds aren’t likely to be too troublesome in the zinnia patch.

Wait until after the last frost to direct-seed in the garden, and then remove the weaker seedlings so that plants are 6-18” apart (depending on plant size).  For continuous blooming, reseed every couple of weeks until midsummer.  If you’re tempted to start seeds indoors under lights, be aware that zinnias dislike root disturbance.   Harden them off gradually by setting flats outdoors for a few hours each day.  Transplant carefully after weather is reliably warm, trying not to expose the roots.  Water the seedlings upon planting but infrequently during summer.  When growth resumes, give them a light application of fertilizer.

The hairy leaves of zinnias are prone to powdery mildew in humid areas and during late summer and fall, when dew is heavy.  Space plants for adequate air circulation and avoid overhead watering, which spreads the mildew spores.  Choose mildew-resistant varieties, such as Blue Point, Oklahoma, Profusion and Pinwheel series.  And remember, no one will notice if you have removed infected leaves before filling a vase with an assortment of festive zinnias.

Magazine Articles:

Lee, Rand B.  “Zinnias.”  The American Cottage Gardener, April 1998, pp. 4-6.
McClure, Susan.  “Rediscovering Zinnias.”  National Gardening, May/June 1999, pp. 49-52, 82.
Meyer, Scott.  “Zinnias!”  Organic Gardening, March 1996, pp. 90-96.
Winterrowd, Wayne.  “Zinnias.”  Horticulture, June/July 1999, pp. 28-30.

Mail-order Nurseries:

W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Warminster, PA 18974.  (800) 888-1447; www.burpee.com
J. L. Hudson, Seedsman, Star Route 2, Box 337, La Honda, CA 94020. $1.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds, 1 Foss Hill Rd., RR 1 Box 2580, Albion, ME 04910-9731. (207) 437-4301; www.johnnyseeds.com
Park Seed Co., 1 Parkton Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29647-0001.  (800) 845-3369; www.parkseed.com
Select Seeds, 180 Stickney Hill Rd., Union, CT 06076-4617.  (860) 684-9310.
Shepherd’s Garden Seeds, 30 Irene St., Torrington,CT 06790-6658. (860) 482-3638; www.shepherdseeds.com
Territorial Seed Company, PO Box 157, Cottage Grove, OR 97424. (541) 942-9547; www.territorial-seed.com
Van Dyke Zinnias @ Redbud Farms, 3820 Stillson Road, Stockbridge, MI 49285.  (517) 851-8194; www.redbudfarms.com

Article by Claire Hagen Dole, Publisher/editor of Butterfly Gardeners' Quarterly. #23, winter 1999-2000.  Issue also includes articles on hairstreaks and Marie Selby Garden (Sarasota, Florida). $2.50 ppd. from BGQ, PO Box 30931, Seattle, WA 98103.

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© copyright 1999 by Claire Hagen Dole; all rights reserved.