Zinnia elegans Zinderella Lilac

Zinnia elegans 'Zinderella Lilac' is part of a brand new series of cultivars with flowers resembling Scabiosa, featuring unique shades and subtle nuances. This particular variety offers very pretty ruffled flowers in shades of lilac. The Scabiosa-like flowers are composed of a large double heart, resembling a beehive, set on a collar. The new varieties in the 'Zinderella' series are tall annual plants, offering unique colours that blend perfectly with romantic beds and allow for the creation of tender bouquets. A beautiful innovation, distinguished by Fleuroselect. 

Zinnia elegans is a robust annual belonging to the Asteraceae family, native to Mexico, and has given rise to numerous cultivars. 'Zinderella Lilac' is a latest generation variety, selected for its uniqueness and beauty of flowering. The plant forms a clump that reaches an average height of 60-70cm (24-28in) and a width of 30cm (12in). Its stems are hollow and relatively brittle, adorned with rough and downy lanceolate to elliptical leaves, of medium green colour. The flowering takes place from June-July to September-October, and it is nectar-rich and honey-producing. The flowers appear in the axils of the leaves, they are beautiful 6cm (2in) wide hemispherical heads, curiously architectured, composed of a heart where many tubular ligulate petals are tightly packed, set on a collar of flat and slightly fringed ligules. Their colour is a changing mauve, more or less pink, bluish or greyish, with the centre of the flower being a burgundy red.

Highly appreciated for their robustness, vibrant colours, and ease of cultivation, Zinnias are a safe bet in the garden, but they are often relegated to sun-soaked flower beds and almost absent from romantic compositions where English or old roses and wildflowers can be found. The 'Zinderella' varieties are very different, and their pastel colours harmonize with many plants in the garden. Zinnias thrive in full sun and withstand high temperatures well, provided they are watered a little. They perform best in neutral, rich, and well-drained soil. Although not demanding, they can still adapt to a moderately fertile garden soil. You can easily associate them with perennials such as pink Rudbeckias and Baptisias, or with other annuals such as Moroccan Linarias, Coreopsis, or Ammi visnaga. They can also be sown in pots to decorate the terrace in summer. It is a nectar-rich plant that will delight bees and butterflies.