Zinnia zahara Double Fire

Zinnia Profusion Double Fire produces hundreds of very double flowers, 5 cm (2in) wide, in a flamboyant orange colour that catches everyone's attention. They bloom on vigorous and compact plants from July until the first frost. This variety is highly resistant to diseases and shows perfect tolerance to summer drought and humid climates. It creates beautiful patches of color in flower beds. A dazzling annual plant, very floriferous and easy to grow in the sun, in well-drained soil.

Zinnia marylandica Profusion Double Fire is an interspecific hybrid obtained through artificial cross-breeding of Z. angustifolia var.angustifolia and Z. violacea, belonging to the Asteraceae family. Both are native to the northern and western parts of Mexico. This Zinnia forms a branching and bushy clump, 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16in) tall and 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20in) wide. The sturdy stems are adorned with rough and fuzzy lanceolate to elliptical leaves, in medium green colour. This variety is particularly resistant to fungal diseases, heat, and drought. The flowering, particularly long, takes place from June-July to November, and it is nectariferous and melliferous. The flower is a 5 cm (2in) wide head, very double, with several rows of ligulate petals, displaying a remarkably vibrant golden orange hue. The flower's centre, very eye-catching, is golden to orange in colour, with a flattened conical shape. It is bordered by a few small orange petals and releases tiny golden flowers.

Watching zinnias grow is always a surprise. They are capable of sprouting in the most unlikely places, abandoned by many plants, their flowers blooming even in gravelly soils and under the scorching sun. Their vibrant colours blend so well with the relentless summer light and the clear gravel beaches that they can be allowed to grow even in cracks on the patio or in 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 country flower beds and above walls; their ardor can be tempered by combining them with softer blooms, such as white or blue nigellas, cosmos, white gauras, or by placing them in the midst of light grasses like Stipa tenuifolia or Eragrostis trichoides. They can, of course, 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, repot and store them in sheltered areas (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame...) at a temperature above 14°C (57.2°F) for a few weeks before being planted outdoors once the risk of frost has definitively passed.