One of my favorite annuals is the zinnia. In my central Texas garden the zinnia seems to be a super butterfly magnet.

Zinnias and Butterfly at Hensel Park Garden

Zinnias have humble beginnings as a native plant in the southern US and Mexico. The story goes that the Spanish explorers in Mexico named the native zinnias “mal de ojos” which translates to “sickness of the eye”. In the 18^th century they received their name, for the German botanist Dr. Johann Gottfried Zinn who wrote the first scientific account of the flower. Members of the daisy family, zinnias began to take their more familiar form and multitude of colors in the late 1800s, and gained significant popularity in 1920 with the introduction of the Bodger Seeds Ltd. Dahlia shaped ‘Giant Dahlia’.

Today zinnias come in a wide range of colors (white, pink, orange, yellow, green, red, and purple), sizes (dwarf to giant varieties), and flower forms (single, semi-double, or double). They are available in both seed and transplants, although I have had better heat tolerance in Texas with plants grown from seed. Zinnias reseed readily and are fast growers.

Zinnia in the Rain - Zinnia elegans 'Purple Prince'

Dwarf Yellow Zinnia

Zinnia elegans

Plant facts: Zinna elegans

Type: Annual

Blooming: Summer and Fall

Colors: all but blue

Light requirements: full sun to partial shade

Height: 5 – 40”

Spacing: 9-12”

Hardiness: all zones

Water: regular, do not overwater

Foliage: Soft/Fuzzy Textured

Common problems: mildew

Other: attractive to butterflies
cutting flowers, reseeds readily

Close-up pink Zinnia elegans