Zinnia Varieties: 21 Stunning Types for Every Garden
Learn which blooms thrive in containers, borders, or bouquets to elevate your outdoor space.
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Zinnias are beloved for their brilliant colors, easy cultivation, and versatility in the garden. Originating from Mexico and named after Dr. Johann Gottfried Zinn, these annuals have captivated gardeners with their dizzying variety of forms, sizes, and hues, ranging from petite border plants to bold, giant-flowering types fit for bouquets.
This guide explores 21 spectacular zinnia varieties to help you choose the perfect addition for your landscape, patio pots, or cut flower arrangements.
What Makes Zinnias So Special?
- Wide range of colors: From fiery reds to soft pastels, vivid purples to unique greens.
- Numerous shapes & sizes: Includes daisy-like, pom-pom, cactus, and dahlia-flowered forms.
- Long-blooming: Continuously flower from early summer to frost.
- Pollinator-friendly: Attract bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects.
- Low-maintenance: Heat and drought tolerant, easy from seed, and disease resistant types available.
- Excellent cut flowers: Long stems and lasting blooms for bouquets and arrangements.
Below are 21 of the most popular, show-stopping, and unique zinnia varieties, along with tips on their growth habits and best uses in the garden.
21 Popular & Unique Zinnia Varieties
âZowie⢠Yellow Flameâ
An All-America Selections (AAS) winner, ‘Zowie⢠Yellow Flame’ is known for its semidouble, bicolor bloomsâa fiery reddish-magenta center with golden yellow petal tips. Flowers up to 4 inches wide appear on plants up to 2 feet tall and wide, making them perfect for garden beds and eye-catching container displays.
Best for: Bold focal points, mixed borders, striking patio pots.
âPeppermint Stickâ Mix
This heirloom mix is noted for its streaked and splotched flowers resembling peppermint sticks. Colors range from cream and gold to shades of scarlet, rose, carmine, and purple. The 2-inch blooms are borne on plants reaching 2â3 feet tall.
Best for: Conversation-starting displays, vibrant mixed bouquets, patio containers.
âHoli Scarletâ
Bred by Ameriseed and a 2019 AAS winner, this compact hybrid produces fully double, deep scarlet blooms up to 3 inches wide on plants just 6â8 inches tall. Its vibrant color and compact size make it ideal for borders and container gardens. Highly disease-resistant with bright green foliage.
Best for: Border edges, small pots, low-maintenance containers.
âGiant Purpleâ
This heat-tolerant, disease-resistant zinnia boasts large, 4ââ6â purple flowers on tall, sturdy stems (40â50â tall). It’s well-suited for bouquets and makes a dramatic statement in the garden.
Best for: Tall backdrops, cut flower gardens, statement bouquets.
âOklahomaâ Series
The ‘Oklahoma’ zinnias feature a wide range of single and semi-double bloomsâsmaller in size (up to 2 inches) and particularly well-suited for cutting. Colors include pink, salmon, yellow, white, and more.
Best for: Professional cut flowers, mixed arrangements, high-production gardens.
âProfusionâ Series
The ‘Profusion’ series offers disease-resistant, mounding plants (12â18â tall) covered in single or semi-double flowers. Colors range from orange, cherry, apricot, and white. These are heat and mildew resistant, perfect for mass plantings and containers.
Best for: Low borders, containers, low-maintenance plantings, continuous blooms.
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âBenaryâs Giantâ Series
Famed for its massive, dahlia-like flowers (up to 4â6 inches across) on robust 3â4 foot stems. Available in a rainbow of colors, these zinnias are a favorite among cut flower growers for their long vase life.
Best for: Bouquets, large floral displays, show gardens.
âQueen Limeâ Series
Unique for its subtle green and lime-hued blooms, often tinted with blush, red, or orange. Flowers are 2â3 inches wide and add a unique color palette to arrangements.
Best for: Contemporary floral designs, mixed color themes, garden variety.
âCut and Come Againâ
This classic variety produces hundreds of vibrant blooms per plant in pink, red, orange, yellow, and white. The more you cut, the more they rebloom.
Best for: Cottage gardens, cut-and-come-again beds, beginner gardeners.
âState Fairâ Mix
Celebrated for its very large, mixed-color blooms on robust plants up to 3 feet tall. Flowers are up to 5 inches wideâperfect for dramatic beds and borders.
Best for: Flower shows, mass plantings, back-of-the-border drama.
âThumbelinaâ Series
A true dwarf, the ‘Thumbelina’ series is ideal for small spaces. Plants reach only 6 inches tall but produce abundant small blooms in a variety of colors.
Best for: Edging, window boxes, container gardens, childrenâs gardens.
âCrystalâ Series (Zinnia angustifolia)
Low-growing plants (up to 10 inches) with single-petaled orange, white, or yellow blooms. Heat and drought tolerant.
Best for: Groundcover, hot & dry spaces, containers and baskets.
âStarâ Series (Zinnia angustifolia)
These vigorous, mildew-resistant plants feature star-shaped flowers and thrive in containers and borders.
Best for: Borders, hanging baskets, low-maintenance spaces.
âHaageana Persian Carpetâ
Also called Mexican zinnia, this series produces small, two-tone flowers (1â2 inches across) in rich carmine, yellow, orange, and mahogany. Plants grow 1â2 feet tall.
Best for: Front-of-border planting, pollinator gardens, mixed containers.
âEnvyâ
Arguably the most unusual zinnia, âEnvyâ offers stunning greenish chartreuse blooms on 2â3 foot stems. Adds a designer touch to bouquets and gardens.
Best for: Modern gardens, unique floral displays, designer cut arrangements.
âMagellanâ Series
Compact, heavy-blooming plants topped with 4â5 inch, fully double flowers in bold colors. Plants reach about 12 inches.
Best for: Bedding, containers, low borders.
âDouble Zaharaâ Series
Features fully double, mildew-resistant blooms on 12â18 inch plants. Diverse color options and continuous flowering.
Best for: Mass plantings, accent containers, disease-prone areas.
âLilliputâ Mix
Delightful small ball-shaped blooms in a mix of colors, ideal for small bouquets and edging.
Best for: Small space gardens, edging, informal bouquets.
âCherry Queenâ
Striking, cherry-red flowers about 4 inches across are carried on tall stems, making a vivid addition to bouquets and displays.
Best for: Bold color themes, cutting gardens, mixed beds.
âCactus Flowered Mixâ
Features spiky, quilled petals reminiscent of a cactus dahlia. Unique texture and a riot of colors.
Best for: Texture-rich floral arrangements, show gardens, garden conversation starters.
âDreamlandâ Series
Compact, early-blooming plants (8â12 inches tall) with large, fully double flowers up to 4 inches wide. Blooms in a rainbow of colors.
Best for: Bedding, containers, smaller plots.
âUproar Roseâ
This vigorous variety produces giant, vivid magenta-pink flowers up to 4 inches across on robust stems. Stands out in both garden beds and vase arrangements.
Best for: Tall garden plantings, bouquets, showy backdrops.
How to Choose the Right Zinnia Variety
- Purpose: For cut flowers, choose âBenaryâs Giantâ, âGiant Purpleâ, âOklahomaâ, or âState Fairâ. For borders or pots, try âHoli Scarletâ, âThumbelinaâ, or the âProfusionâ series.
- Color Theme: âQueen Limeâ and âEnvyâ for unique greens, âPeppermint Stickâ and âPersian Carpetâ for multicolor impact, âCactus Flowered Mixâ for texture.
- Space: For small areas, stick with the âProfusionâ, âThumbelinaâ, âCrystalâ, or âDreamlandâ series. Large gardens can accommodate the tall âBenaryâs Giantâ and âGiant Purpleâ.
- Climate: Heat and disease resistance are hallmarks of the âProfusionâ, âZaharaâ, and âGiant Purpleâ types.
Comparison Table of Popular Zinnia Varieties
| Variety/Series | Height | Bloom Size | Color Range | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| âZowie⢠Yellow Flameâ | 2 ft | 4 in | Red/Yellow Bicolor | Showy pots, beds |
| âBenaryâs Giantâ | 3-4 ft | 4-6 in | Wide spectrum | Cut flowers |
| âProfusionâ Series | 12-18 in | 2 in | Orange, Cherry, White | Containers, borders |
| âQueen Limeâ Series | 24 in | 2-3 in | Lime-green, blush, red | Bouquets, gardens |
| âHoli Scarletâ | 6-8 in | 3 in | Scarlet | Borders, pots |
| âGiant Purpleâ | 40-50 in | 4-6 in | Purple | Bouquets, backgrounds |
| âThumbelinaâ | 6 in | 1-2 in | Mixed | Edging, containers |
| âCut and Come Againâ | 2-2.5 ft | 1.5 in | Mixed | Continuous cut flowers |
Tips for Growing Vibrant Zinnias
- Site: Plant in full sun for best flowering and sturdy growth.
- Soil: Well-draining, moderately fertile soil is ideal. Avoid soggy spots.
- Sowing: Start seeds indoors three to four weeks before your last frost, or sow directly outdoors after danger of frost passes.
- Spacing: Allow good airflow by spacing plants according to variety (6â24 inches apart).
- Water: Water at the base; avoid wetting foliage to prevent mildew.
- Feeding: Feed lightly with a balanced fertilizer, especially in poor soils.
- Deadheading: Regularly remove spent blooms to encourage continuous flowering.
- Harvesting: For cut flowers, pick stems when blooms are fully open for longest vase life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Which zinnia varieties are best for bouquets?
A: Tall, large-flowered types like âBenaryâs Giantâ, âGiant Purpleâ, âOklahomaâ, and âState Fairâ excel for cutting gardens and bouquets due to their long, sturdy stems and bold blooms.
Q: Are there zinnia types suitable for small spaces or containers?
A: Yes! Compact varieties such as âProfusionâ, âThumbelinaâ, âMagellanâ, âDreamlandâ, âCrystalâ, and âHoli Scarletâ are perfect for containers, window boxes, edging, and petite gardens.
Q: What makes âPeppermint Stickâ and âPersian Carpetâ zinnias special?
A: These mixes feature multicolored, often bicolored blooms with streaks, splotches, or two-tone petals, creating a lively, eye-catching effect in the garden or vase.
Q: Are zinnias good for pollinators?
A: Absolutely! Many zinnias attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, making them excellent for pollinator gardens.
Q: Are there zinnias that resist disease?
A: The âProfusionâ, âZaharaâ, and âGiant Purpleâ types are specifically bred for high resistance to powdery mildew and other common zinnia diseases.
Conclusion
Zinnia varieties offer nearly endless possibilities for gardeners seeking vivid color, ease of care, and reliable flowers all season long. Whether you desire petite border accents or giant blooms for the vase, thereâs a zinnia for every taste and garden size. Experiment with several types to enjoy a full spectrum of beauty from summer through fallâs first frost.
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