focal · moderate · mid
Zinnia
Zinnia elegans
The zinnia is the garden colour bomb of late summer — no other annual delivers this range of saturated hues on stems robust enough for cut work. Benary's Giant series produces 10 cm heads on 70 cm stems; Queeny Lime cultivars carry chartreuse and blush palettes prized by modern florists. Local and seasonal; a farm-to-vase staple.
At a glance
| Family | Asteraceae |
|---|---|
| Origin | Mexico, Central America; commercially grown by local farms |
| Peak season | July, August, September |
| Availability | June to October |
| Stem length | 30–70 cm |
| Vase life | 5–10 days |
| Colors | white, cream, yellow, orange, coral, pink, red, burgundy, purple, green, bicolor |
| Price tier | mid |
Conditioning
Cut on a diagonal in the early morning. Sear the stem end for 2 seconds in boiling water then plunge into cool water for hydration.
Care in the vase
- •Sear stem ends for maximum vase life
- •Wide colour range — one of the most colour-diverse annuals
- •Local, seasonal flower — buy from farms
- •Queeny Lime Orange and Benary's Giant are cut-flower favourites
