Zinnia Profusion Double Mix

The Zinnias 'Profusion Double' mix, with their double flowers in vibrant colours and compact habit, is perfect for brightening up flower beds and containers for long weeks, from summer to autumn. White, fuchsia pink, yellow, variegated orange with pink-red, the flowers bloom abundantly on small, well-groomed vigorous plants that are both disease-resistant and low-maintenance. These generous annual plants are truly easy to grow in the sun and require very little care.

Zinnia marylandica Profusion Double is an interspecific hybrid obtained through the artificial cross-breeding of Z. angustifolia var. angustifolia and Z. violacea, both belonging to the Asteraceae family. Both are also native to the north and west of Mexico. This Profusion Double Zinnia forms a well-branched and bushy clump measuring 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16in) in height and 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20in) in width within a few weeks. The sturdy stems are covered with rough and fuzzy, lanceolate to elliptical leaves of medium green. This selection brings together plants with a uniform and regular habit, particularly resistant to fungal diseases, heat, and drought. Their remarkably long flowering period extends from June-July to November, and they are nectar-rich and attractive to pollinating insects. The flower is a 5 cm (2in) diameter head, well double and open, with several rows of ligulate petals of varying colour depending on the plants, surrounding a central disc composed of tiny golden flowers. After pollination by insects, the flowers give way to seeds that readily self-sow in light soils.

Watching zinnias grow is always a surprise. Capable of emerging from the ground in the most unlikely places, abandoned by many plants, their flowers flourishing even in gravelly soils and scorching sun. Their vibrant hues blend so well with the relentless summer light and light-coloured gravel beds that they can be allowed to grow even in patio cracks or pathways. Even though they are born and die in the same year, it's worth enjoying their endless flowering to the limits of reason. They stand out in wildflower meadows and above walls; their intensity can be tempered by pairing them with softer blooms, such as white or blue love-in-a-mist, cosmos, white gauras, or by placing them amidst light grasses like Stipa tenuifolia or Eragrostis trichoides. Of course, they can be planted in pots to decorate the patio in summer, with almost no maintenance required.

Note: Please be aware that our young plug plants are professional products intended for experienced gardeners. Upon receipt, transplant and store them in a sheltered place (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame...) at a temperature above 14°C (57.2°F) for a few weeks before planting them outdoors once the risk of frost has passed.