Zinnia is a prolific, easy summer flower that also attracts pollinators—start indoors or sow directly in the ground
The zinnia is hard to resist! Its diverse range of varieties includes everything from lush double blooms and fringed petals to simpler single flowers.
Zinnias come in striking colors, are easy to care for, and bloom abundantly even into autumn, attracting both butterflies and bees to the garden. Zinnia also produces a long-lasting cut flower for the vase.
The genus includes several species, such as elegans, zahara, and narrowleaf, which range in height from 30 to 80 centimeters. Tall elegans zinnias are especially popular among cut-flower growers, while shorter, more compact varieties—like the zahara series—are ideal for containers.
A wide choice of cultivars offers lush double blooms, fringed petals, and simpler single flowers, with the latter being the most rain-resistant and especially helpful for pollinators. Breeding has focused on improving rain and drought tolerance, and newer cultivars are indeed more weather-hardy than older ones.
Zinnia—sow indoors or directly in the ground
Zinnia seedlings are easy to start on your own. Early April is a good time to sow. Zinnias also make lovely late-season cut flowers. If you sow seeds outdoors in May, flowering will begin in August and continue until cold weather sets in.
Zinnia—care instructions
Zinnias are resilient, easygoing plants. Grow them in a sunny spot, and they will develop into lush, multi-branched shrubs covered in blooms. Remove spent flowers regularly by cutting them back to a leaf node—this way, you avoid unsightly stubs, and new buds keep forming throughout the season.
This article is partially based on an interview with sales team lead Tytti Haahti from ’Koroisten Puutarha’ plant nursery.
