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3 Important Facts About The Candy Cane Zinnia

Peppermint isn’t the only plant associated with a classic Christmas treat—the Candy Cane Zinnia is part of that club too. These beautiful striped flowers are a great choice for gardens and bouquets alike.

Candy cane zinnia

Let’s go over everything you need to know about the Candy Cane Zinnia!


Characteristics of the Candy Cane Zinnia

Candy cane zinnia

Candy Cane Zinnias are, of course, primarily white and red in coloration. They have large, round blooms with multiple layers of petals, and they grow to just shy of 20 inches tall in maturity.

Their petals are mainly white with speckles and stripes of red, like someone took a paintbrush and flicked red paint onto a white flower. When you look at them, it’s easy to see how they earned their name; they’re absolutely reminiscent of candy canes!

On occasion, you’ll see zinnias labeled as “Candy Cane” that don’t have that white and red coloration. These are also sometimes called “Candy Stripe” and usually come in a mix with Candy Cane Zinnias.


Candy Cane Zinnia FAQ

Candy cane zinnia

Where can you buy this flower?

These flowers may be difficult to find already grown and cut; I haven’t seen them anywhere myself. However, you might be able to track them down at a farmer’s market or your local florist!

If you can’t seem to track them down fully grown, no worries—it’s much, much easier to find the seeds. You can find them on many websites and many home and garden stores, and zinnias aren’t difficult to grow, so if you’re longing for some colorful stripes to liven up your garden, you’re in luck! The Candy Cane Zinnia is the perfect choice.

Can you grow it at home?

You absolutely can grow the Candy Cane Zinnia at home! As I said, these aren’t terribly difficult flowers to grow, so they’re a great choice to grow from seed.

You can start these seeds as early as March if you’re able to house the seedlings indoors for a while, which will give you a good jump on getting them to maturity. You can also start them outdoors, but you’ll need to be careful to wait until after the final frost; these flowers greatly prefer warmth and sun, so it’s recommended that you wait until mid-to-late May to plant the seeds outside.

These flowers have a wide spread, so be sure to plant them far enough apart that they don’t crowd each other too much.

As the year advances and you get closer to fall, keep an eye on your zinnia plants and start watching out for when blooms begin to die off. As blooms start to wilt, you’ll want to engage in the practice of deadheading, or removing dead blooms from your plants as they wither away.

This might seem counterintuitive, but it’s actually the best way to encourage your plants to continue flowering well into the fall season, up until the first frost. By removing the dead heads of your plants—hence, deadheading—you stop the dying blooms from sapping nutrients and energy from the rest of the plant, which allows those resources to be reallocated into growing new flowers instead.

Otherwise, if you leave the wilted heads on the plant, they’ll continue sapping away energy, even though they’re too far gone to actually revive in any way.

Why would you want to grow it at home?

I mean, come on—these flowers are stunning! If you’re looking to liven up your garden, you can’t go wrong with Candy Cane Zinnias.

Their vibrant colors, large blooms, and natural ability to catch the eye are sure to brighten your yard and increase your curb appeal.

Zinnias aren’t a subtle flower, so they’re the perfect choice if you’re looking to stand out in your neighborhood rather than blend in.

Where should you plant it?

You can plant your Candy Cane Zinnias anywhere in your yard so long as it’s a sunny area.

These flowers do not thrive in the shade. They require full sunlight and plenty of water to grow to their highest potential. You’ll also want to stay on top of the weed population in your garden—these flowers are easy to grow, but even the lowest-maintenance flower can be choked out by encroachment of weeds.

I personally suggest planting in the front of your house in order to show off their beauty the most, but if you happen to have a garden in your backyard you’re incredibly proud of or an entertaining space that you want to spruce up, you can absolutely choose to plant them back there, too. So long as you keep them in the sun, you’re golden!


Where To Buy Candy Cane Zinnia Seeds

Candy cane zinnia

While full-grown zinnias are difficult to track down, the seeds are quite common, and you can find them all kinds of places! However, you’re more likely to find Candy Cane Zinnias in a mix rather than on their own; personally, I recommend this mix of Candy Stripe and Candy Cane Zinnias from Amazon.

Not only do you get the lovely red and white coloration of the Candy Canes in your garden, but this mix will bring other vivid colors into play, such as shades of orange, gold, and pale yellow.


Wrapping Up the Candy Cane Zinnia

Zinnias are a beautiful and underrated flower, and the Candy Cane variation is no exception. Whether you’re in a festive mood or simply want to liven up the exterior of your home with eye-catching colors, the Candy Cane Zinnia is a great choice!

On top of that, because you’ll likely be growing these blooms from seed, you’ll get the added satisfaction of watching the fruits of your labor coming into their own. You’ll be the most envied house on the block with these splashes of color lighting up your lawn.

Interested in more zinnia content? Visit my zinnia page for more growing tips, care guides, bouquet suggestions, and more!