Ten vibrant zinnias to cultivate

The vibrant and versatile zinnia plant is an excellent choice for gardeners in the UK, offering a wide range of colours, sizes, and heights to suit various garden spaces and preferences. Here are ten top zinnia varieties to consider for your garden:

Benary’s Giant Series With large, dramatic flowers up to 6 inches wide, Benary’s Giant Series is a popular choice for those seeking a bold statement in their garden. Known for their strong disease resistance and continuous blooming, these zinnias are ideal for cutting gardens or larger beds.
Zahara Series The compact and dwarf growth habit of the Zahara Series makes it suitable for smaller spaces. These zinnias bloom profusely throughout the season, boasting excellent disease resistance, especially against powdery mildew. They are ideal for heat tolerance and easier maintenance.
Queeny Series The Queeny Series offers layered color blends like Lime Red, Orange, and Lemon Peach. These large, double blooms create a striking visual impact, making them perfect for bold, vibrant garden colour palettes.
Profusion Hybrids Noted for their heat tolerance and disease resistance, Profusion Hybrids continue to bloom even in hot, humid conditions. These low-maintenance varieties are ideal for challenging climates, with colours including white, red, and salmon rose.
Pop Art White & Red The bi-color blooms of Pop Art White & Red create eye-catching contrast, with medium to large flower size for visual interest. These zinnias are great for garden borders and cut flowers.
Candy Mix (Scabiosa-type) The distinctive mounded "cupcake"-like disc flowers surrounded by bright rays of Candy Mix set it apart from traditional zinnias. It includes bright reds, yellows, lavender, and apricot shades, with impressive stems suitable for flower arrangements.
Cupcake Mix (Scabiosa-type) Similar to Candy Mix, Cupcake Mix features a higher concentration of tufted disc flowers. It offers very bright reds, yellows, lavender, and apricot colors, with compact and visually textured flowers for unique garden appeal.
Old Mexico Small, delicate flowers with fine foliage, Old Mexico is drought tolerant and well suited to warm climates. It adds a delicate, daisy-like texture to garden designs.
Fireball Mix The striking red-striped golden yellow double flowers of Fireball Mix add dramatic and vivid color contrasts to flower beds.
Zinnia tenuifolia Known for its fine, feathery foliage and small, daisy-like flowers, Zinnia tenuifolia offers a delicate appearance and contrasts well with larger zinnias. It attracts pollinators and thrives in hot, dry conditions.

These zinnia varieties cover a range of colours, flower sizes, plant heights, and disease resistance, allowing you to select based on your garden space, climate, and aesthetic preferences. Zinnias generally prefer full sun, well-drained soil, and warm weather for optimal growth. Many of these varieties also work well as cut flowers with good vase life.

'Sprite Mix', a zinnia variety well suited to growing in the UK climate, bears semi-double flowers in pink, red, and orange-yellow. 'Soleado' bears masses of single orange flowers on strong stems, while 'Queen Lime' offers unusual lime green petals. 'Purple Prince' is a tall-growing zinnia variety that bears striking double flowers in magenta with a lime green center, perfect for growing in informal, naturalistic situations with grasses and other tall-growing annuals. 'Aztec Sunset' bears masses of double flowers in a variety of colours on dwarf, bushy plants.

Zinnia elegans, an annual flowering plant native to Mexico, thrives in hot, dry conditions and grows well in well-drained soil in a sunny border. 'Queen Red Lime' is a zinnia variety that bears unusual red flowers with lime tips to each petal edge, growing to a height of 60cm. 'Pop Art' is a zinnia variety that bears large, golden flowers flecked with red on tall stems.

Zinnias can be started off indoors from February to April or outdoors in May and June. All cultivated forms of Zinnia elegans make wonderful cut flowers, and single-flowered varieties are much valued by pollinating insects, particularly hoverflies.

In the realm of home-and-garden enthusiasts in the UK, the vibrant and versatile Zinnia Sprite Mix, with semi-double flowers in pink, red, and orange-yellow, is an excellent option to consider for its suitability in UK climate. Additionally, for those who prefer a taller growing zinnia variety, the Queen Red Lime, with its unusual red flowers edged with lime tips, makes a striking addition to lifestyle gardens, especially when planted in informal, naturalistic settings.