Native to Mexico, naturalised in Australia
Zinnia elegans comes from Mexico and has become naturalised in a number of places, Australia among them. The garden plants are bred from the wild form, which is only about 15 cm tall with purple petals. Modern types stand from dwarf to about 90 cm, in single, double and pom-pom forms.
Why Australians like them
Zinnias love warmth and sun, grow best in dry, warm, frost-free regions and many tolerate drought. That makes them well suited to long summers in Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Sydney. In humid weather the leaves can get powdery mildew, so give them air and water at the base.
Sowing and picking
- Sow seed after the last frost, in spring, directly into the ground; seedlings dislike root disturbance.
- Choose full sun and well-drained loam.
- Pinch the tip of young plants for a bushier habit.
- Cut stems when the flower is fully open. Pick often to keep flowering through summer and into early autumn.
Cut stems of zinnias
Stems last seven to ten days. Strip the leaves below the water and change it every couple of days. Zinnias have no noticeable scent, which suits people who prefer unscented flowers on a table.
Zinnias sit on the non-toxic side of the ASPCA's plant database for dogs, cats and horses, so a nibbled stem is not an emergency.
What zinnias traditionally says
In the language of flowers, zinnias traditionally speak of thoughts of absent friends and lasting affection.
