Zinnia, Creeping Zinnia, Narrow-Leaf Zinnia 'Mixed Hybrids, Noids'

These are great performers here---tough, easy, and adaptable. Bloom is prolific and continuous from June to frost. Flowers are smaller in...Read Moredividually than with the more common Z. elegans, but they make up for it with sheer numbers of flowers. They add much color to border edges.

I also prefer the slender, elegant foliage to the coarse, decidedly inelegant leaves of Z. elegans.

Unlike Z. elegans, this species has no serious pest or disease issues. It has excellent resistance to powdery mildew and fungal leaf spots. And unlike Z. elegans, deadheading and staking are unnecessary.

The wild Mexican species has orange flowers, but strains have been developed with white, yellow, orange, and red flowers.

Seeds can be hard to find. I find it helpful to search for them under all 3 synonyms I know: Z. angustifolia, Z. haageana, and Z. linearis. They seem to be most often listed as Z. linearis.

If starting indoors, begin 4-6 weeks before last frost. Warm soil is needed for germination. If direct planting, allow 8 weeks from seed to bloom. Slight drought stress is said to increase flower production.

PS The 'Crystal' series is easiest to find.

I have grown white z. augustifolia for years. Last year it grew well in a new wetter garden. I like it because it is self cleaning and ne...Read Moreat.
Very hard to find seed now: a narrow leaf zinnia is currently for sale at Walmart labeled "Zinnia Classic Mixed Colors."
Naming seems uncertain to me. I see z. linearis, z. gregii, z.haageana. And the plant looks very similar melampodium, so I always thought any yellow/orange blooms like this were melampodium.
It works well in both formal and "wild" beds.

These perform beautifully during even the hottest, dryest GA summers. They are loaded with flowers, and last until hard freeze. However...Read More, it is very hard to locate either plants or seeds. I did find seeds in Target once. Since I didn't grow them last summer, I am on the lookout for seeds.

Great performers in all kinds of part-sun conditions. I have these planted all over my yard here in Houston.