Zinnia elegans Cresto Citrus Mixture seeds

Zinnia elegans ‘Cresto Citrus Mixture’ is a floriferous and vibrant selection, ideal for illuminating summer borders with its double, frilled flowers in vivid shades of white, orange and lemon yellow. This tender perennial, grown as an annual, forms an upright, bushy clump, perfectly suited to sunny gardens as well as generous containers. This easy-to-grow selection of scabious-flowered Zinnia produces a very high percentage of perfectly double flowers on long stems. It proves particularly valuable in cut flower gardens, with a long and regular flowering period from summer until the first frosts. Water and deadhead regularly to ensure optimal flowering. Sow in trays from March or directly in open ground after the last frosts.

The Scabious-flowered Zinnia 'Cresto Citrus Mixture' is a horticultural cultivar belonging to the Asteraceae family. The species Zinnia elegans, also known by the synonym Zinnia violacea, is native to Mexico, where it grows naturally in open, sunny prairies. The 'Cresto Citrus Mixture' cultivar has been selected for its large double flowers in vibrant shades of lemon yellow, tangerine orange and white. This plant has a bushy habit and rapid growth, reaching approximately 60 to 75 cm in height and 30 to 45 cm in width in open ground. In pots, its dimensions are slightly reduced. The scabious-type flowers measure 7 to 10 cm in diameter and appear from early summer until the first frosts. The foliage is mid-green, with ovate and slightly rough leaves. The stems are sturdy and slightly hairy, hollow and moderately brittle. The root system is fibrous and shallow, suited to well-drained soils. Flowering occurs 10 to 13 weeks after sowing. It begins in June-July and continues until September-October, depending on the sowing date. These flowers are nectar-rich and honey-producing; they have large heads of 6 cm, composed of numerous ligulate petals around a pompon-like centre, appearing in the leaf axils. The yellow central disc is visible on the rare flowers that are not fully double. After pollination by insects, seeds form, which can be harvested for sowing the following spring.

Zinnia ‘Cresto Citrus Mixture’, planted en masse in the foreground of a border or used as accents in a large container, pairs well with equally bold blooms, such as the velvety blue of Salvia farinacea ‘Strata’, the deep red of Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Rubenza’ or the bright pink of Cleome hassleriana ‘Sparkler Rose’. These combinations create a joyful dynamic, reminiscent of a cottage garden.