Zinnia Flower Facts: Helping Your Zinnia Buds Bloom Beautifully

What has long stems, attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, blooms in the summer season, and is a staple in flower bouquets?

The answer is zinnias! These perfect flowers can be planted in multiple or single rows in almost all gardens.

Whether you are walking beside a sidewalk or visiting the neighborhood garden, it is unlikely for you to miss these colorful and beautiful flowers. Zinnias, native to America, come in various shapes, sizes, and colors. You will come across red to lilac zinnias.

The bright colors attract pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds. They can be single petaled or double petaled and come in interesting shapes like globe, beehive, and cactus. Zinnia blooms last for about a week.

To pinch back zinnias, you have to pinch the stem. Continue reading to learn fun facts about this popular garden variety. For instance, zinnias were named after a German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn!

If you are a flower enthusiast, then check out Kidadl articles on Alabama state flowers and trees and how long do cactus flowers last.

Types Of Zinnia Flower

Zinnias vary in terms of flower species, shapes, size, and color. It is a great idea to learn about the various varieties before you plant these colorful flowers in your garden.

When it comes to zinnia species, there are around 20 types. Most of the species are wildflowers, and very few can be grown in gardens. Due to their popularity, cultivators keep experimenting with this flower. You will find the flower in various colors, shapes, and sizes.

Zinnia elegans is the species from which most hybrids originate. The original wild species with purple single petals and a yellow and black disc is not easy to locate. The versions that you can find have been interbred by cultivators.

Z. angustifolia is the next type that has been cultivated. The original has single white, yellow, or orange flowers that are as tall as 18-20 in (45.72-50 cm).

This species type is commonly found in gardens that experience hot summers because of its drought and heat-resistant properties. This is the variety of zinnia flowers that you will encounter blooming in garden beds beside sidewalks.

The Mexican Zinnia haageana can be found in both single and double petaled versions. The advantage of this plant is its disease resistance. Z. haageana colors are red, yellow, and orange. Cultivators crossbred Z. angustifolia and Z. haageana with Zinnia elegans to come up with more beautiful tall varieties.

When it comes to flower shapes, zinnias come in a wide variety. Apart from the single and double-petaled (semi or full) versions, cultivators have developed shapes that resemble a dahlia and a cactus.

The size of these plants can vary from small to large varieties. Small zinnias will be around 6 in (15.24 cm) tall while the large ones can grow up to several feet. Flower petals come in orange, purple, yellow, pink, lilac, and red.

Zinnia Flower Meanings

Flowers have always symbolized something or another. It is believed by some people that these beautiful flowers symbolize affection, trust, tribute, friendship, and other positive meanings.

Resilient and colorful, zinnia plants are a symbol of shining bright even in harsh conditions. Floral arrangements of the zinnia are perfect for gifting for celebratory occasions. They also symbolize warmth and affection. The red zinnia, since Victorian times, has been a symbol of love.

This is because irrespective of the season, the zinnia will continue to bloom brightly. It can be sown even during fall until winter frost. It is also a flower used to honor those who have passed.

The colors of a zinnia also have different meanings like red and pink that convey love. The pink zinnia can also be gifted to friends and family. Orange zinnias are known to have a healing meaning.

The bright yellow zinnia is a sign of warmth. Rare blue zinnias are a sign of loyalty and trust. The white zinnia symbolizes peace.

Common Problems Of Zinnias

Zinnias generally are disease-free and are also resistant to weather and climatic changes. However, these low maintenance annuals can be affected by some issues like powdery mildew, alternaria leaf spot, bacterial leaf spot, and stem root rot.

Zinnias are drought tolerant and disease resistant when grown in healthy, moist yet well-drained soils. However, these garden plants can be affected by fungal and bacterial issues.

Powdery mildew is a fungus that leaves behind powdery stuff on the petals, leaves, and stems of the plant. This fungus starts wilting a plant's parts and the blooms lose their bright gleam. Two remedies to deal with this problem include placing the plant under full sun or mixing neem oil with water and spraying on the infected parts.

Are you seeing reddish-brown spots on your zinnia's blooms? Then it may be a fungal problem, namely Alternaria leaf spot. Unfortunately, this disease is transmitted through the seed so no outside remedies will work against it.

The only remedy for this problem is planting healthy seeds and placing these plants in dry areas as Alternaria thrives in moist environments. A similar problem is bacterial leaf spot. This is another disease transmitted via the seeds, so you would need to plant fresh seeds and keep the area dry.

When you spot the stem of your zinnia rotting, then it is likely to be affected by stem and root rot. Again, it is not easy to identify the problem early on.

The disease occurs when zinnias are planted in soil that is not well-drained. Improper watering can also cause this problem. It is important to keep soil healthy and dry for your garden plant to grow without issues.

Tips To Maintain Zinnia Plants

Zinnias are quite low maintenance because of their properties. However, to extend the life of zinnias, you need to take care of their growing conditions.

First, you need to plant zinnia seeds. Seeds should be directly planted in the soil. If zinnia seeds are planted in healthy soil and have the right climatic conditions, then zinnias will grow without any issues. Avoid planting seeds during frost.

You also need to pay attention to the planting site. When planting, you need to take care of the elements including the soil ph, sun, frost, and season.

This is important to make sure a long and disease-free life for your plant. Make sure that the soil is well-drained, ph is maintained, is frost-free, and is filled with rich organic matter.

When planting zinnia seeds, it is important to plant them at least 4 in (10.16 cm) apart. The seed should also be sown only about one-fourth deep. Zinnias need to be thinned out when their sturdy stems grow at least 3 in (7.62 cm).

Lastly, here are some other tips for you to keep in mind when planting zinnias in your garden. The planting soil of zinnias needs to be maintained optimally for blooms to develop. This includes the use of fertilizers and maintaining soil moisture.

Cut the flower head off old zinnias to encourage more flowers to grow. Being annuals (not perennials) these plants will die at the end of the season. If you want zinnias to grow again, let the plants in your garden bloom, mature, and then spread their seeds.

Using Zinnias In Flower Arrangements

Zinnias are often used for flower arrangements. From simple arrangements to more intricate arrangements, here is a look at how you can adorn your environment with zinnias.

Cut zinnias of different colors. One trick is to cut the stems of zinnia plants at variable lengths.

When you add the flowers it will give a three-dimensional effect to your flower arrangement. You can also mix different hybrids together, a mix of single and double petaled zinnias works. Make sure to clip the leaves, cut the stem keeping in mind the height of the vase, and cut the stems at an angle.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked these zinnia flower facts then why not take a look at what flowers are safe for cats, or facts about the orchid flower.