Zinnias Flower: Top 10 Varieties for Colorful Gardens

Explore the vibrant world of Zinnias Flower with our guide to the top 10 varieties perfect for adding bursts of color to your garden. Discover their unique traits and find the ideal zinnia to elevate your outdoor space.

Want to add a kaleidoscope of vibrant, long-lasting color to your flower beds and landscaping? Look no further than the classic zinnias! With their brilliant shades, profuse blooming and ease of cultivation, these annual flowers are summer staples that never fail to brighten up any sunny outdoor space.

Zinnia flowers thrive in even the hottest climates and deliver continuous waves of fresh blooms from spring until frost if you regularly deadhead them. They’re also relatively low-maintenance, proving remarkably resistant to pests and disease when grown in optimal conditions.

From miniature buttons to oversized dinner plate types, zinnia varieties come in a dizzying array of colors, shapes and sizes to suit any garden style. To help narrow down the choices, here are 10 of the most eye-catching and versatile zinnias worth trying in your own landscape this growing season.

1. Zinnia elegans (Common Garden Zinnias)

Here’s a short information chart for Zinnia elegans (Common Garden Zinnias):

When you envision a stereotypical zinnia flower, it’s likely this heirloom open-pollinated variety that first comes to mind. Tall, sturdy zinnia elegans bear large, 3-4″ blooms with overlapping petals around yellow conical centers.

Their profusion of colors range from solids like bright pinks, oranges and yellows to bicolors, blends and even green monstres like ‘Envy’. These classic zinnias stand tall at 2-3′ high, making ideal cut flowers or showy border plants.

2. Zinnia elegans ‘Pumila’ (Cut and Come Again Zinnias)

Here’s a short information chart for Zinnia elegans ‘Pumila’ (Cut and Come Again Zinnias):

Also in the traditional zinnia elegans group, the ‘Pumila’ series dwarf cultivars are perfect for mass plantings, container growing and continuous cutting. At only 8-15″ high, ‘Cut and Come Again’ zinnias pump out an endless supply of 2-3″ double and semi-double flowers in bold uniform colors.

These compact, bushy plants are ideal for lower borders, windowboxes and adding pizzazz to hanging baskets. ‘Pumila’ cultivars like ‘Liliput’ come in a rainbow of colors too including pastels, bicolors, reds, yellows and more.

3. Zinnia marylandica (Zahara Series)

Here’s a concise information chart for Zinnia marylandica, specifically the Zahara Series:

For crazy brilliant flower power with excellent heat and drought tolerance, look no further than the Zahara zinnia series. These ultra low-maintenance zinnia hybrids pump out massive fully double blooms from spring until frost stopgabrecia

At just 12″ tall, Zahara’s compact, disease-resistant habit is perfect for pots, bedding or landscape borders in blazing shades like Fire, Sunburst and Cherry. But they’re also available in softer Coral Rose, Yellow and White tones.

4. Zinnia angustifolia (Sparky Series)

Here’s a concise information chart for Zinnia angustifolia, specifically the Sparky Series:

If you love a profusion of small, single zinnia flowers, you’ll adore the floriferous Sparky hybrids! These miniature 1″ gems smother themselves in masses of fiery red, orange and yellow button-like blooms over compact, bushy 12-16″ plants.

Sparkys are perfect for edging or container gardens, with improved disease resistance and heat tolerance compared to heirlooms. Expect dozens of vibrant zinnia flowers all season long for splashing color everywhere.

5. Zinnia haageana (Mexican Zinnias)

Here’s a concise information chart for Zinnia haageana, commonly known as Mexican Zinnias:

For carpet-style groundcover with a mosaic of blooms, the native Mexican zinnia haageana species is unbeatable. These spreading zinnias reach just 12″ tall but can trail up to 3′ wide while continuously reblooming in shades ranging from orange, yellow, mahogany and cream.

Plant Mexican zinnias on slopes or cascading over walls in full sun. Or let them spill prettily out of hanging pots and baskets. They’ll reward you with zinnia flowers galore that nourish scores of pollinators all summer.

6. Zinnia tenuifolia (Red Spider Zinnias)

Here’s a concise information chart for Zinnia tenuifolia, commonly known as Red Spider Zinnias:

With their unusual crimson blossoms and fuzzy, cactus-like foliage, few zinnias are as unique as Red Spiders. These quirky plants produce single 2-3″ scarlet blooms atop slender hairy stems and needled leaves, providing outstanding texture in beds and borders.

Red Spider zinnia flowers might not be the most ostentatious, but their feathery petals and contrasting greenery are guaranteed conversation starters. They stay compact at 18-24″ high while tolerating drought and poor soils with ease.

7. Zinnia violacea (Youth and Old Age Zinnias)

Here’s a concise information chart:

For a fun novelty and high-impact floral displays, Zinnia violacea varieties won’t disappoint. These Mexican natives develop quirky “tri-color” blooms that shift from pale yellow when young to multi-hued streaks, finally maturing to rich fuchsia tones.

The effect creates cool tye-dyed patterns across the 2-3″ zinnia flowers covering tall, lanky 2-3′ stems. Try cultivars like ‘Mauve Beauty’ or ‘Señorita’ in borders and cutting gardens for unique architectural interest.

8. Zinnia augustifolia (Narrow-leaf Zinnias)

Here’s a concise information chart:

If big, bountiful zinnia blooms are your goal, meet the narrow-leaf or crayola zinnias (also called Z. angustifolia hybrids). These bold, sun-loving workhorses reach 2-4′ tall while continuously smothering themselves in 2-3″ fully double and semi-double cactus-flowered blossoms all season in vivid, saturated hues.

Modern series like Magellan, Candy Cane and Oklahoma deliver scads of vibrant zinnia flowers in shades ranging from golden yellows and oranges to crimson, plum and white – sometimes streaked together. Plant en masse in meadows or mixed borders for truly dazzling, low-care floral shows.

9. Zinnia elegans ‘Queen’ Series

Here’s a concise information chart for Zinnia elegans ‘Queen’ Series:

If maximal zinnia flower size is your goal, look no further than the ‘Queen’ series giants. These towering 4′ beauties produce incredible 4-6″ double to semi-double dahlia-like blooms in shades of red, orange, lime, purple, white and mixtures.

Expect opulent, eye-catching zinnia displays in formal gardens, cottage plantings and cut flower plots. While tall,the rugged ‘Queen’ varieties hold up well, with single stems frequently producing new lateral zinnia after zinnia when spent blooms are removed.

10. Zinnia x hybrida ‘Profusion’ Series

Here’s a concise information chart for Zinnia x hybrida ‘Profusion’ Series:

For low-maintenance professional-quality zinnias in landscapes, look no further than the award-winning Profusion series. These compact 12-18″ mounding zinnia hybrids pump out an avalanche of 2-3″ double and semi-double blooms all season long.

Profusion zinnias come in shades like ‘Fire’, ‘White’, ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Apricot’ that thrive in heat and drought. They’re also very free-flowering, making them ideal for mass plantings, borders or spilling beautifully from containers and baskets. With improved disease resistance and self-cleaning flowers, Profusion keeps the color coming.

No matter which zinnia varieties you choose to grow, these sun-loving bloomers are guaranteed to inject explosive color and nonstop floral interest anywhere you need it most. With their ease of care, zinnias make the perfect filler for both in-ground and container gardening designs.