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The Amazing Zahara Zinnia: Everything You Need to Know

The Zahara zinnia flower is distinctive for its brightly colored hues that range from deep red to soft pink to bright orange to crisp white.

Zahara Zennia

Famed for their resistance to weather and disease, these plants, which have many leafy branches between their two-and-a-half-inch flowers, and grow to about a foot or a foot and a half tall, thrive annually in densely hued beds.

Read on to learn where to buy them, how to grow them, and tips on using them as decor!


What Makes Zahara Zinnia Special

In addition to being a decorative addition to your home, patio, or front garden, Zahara zinnias are a breeze to maintain due to their natural resilience.


Growing Zahara Zinnia

Zahara zinnia can be grown at home in either your garden or an indoor container. They grow best in zones 3-11. You can purchase seeds and expect a full flower within 5 to 6 weeks of sowing.

Space the seeds about eight to ten inches apart to accommodate the plant’s width of sixteen to twenty inches.


Planting Instructions

In Pots and in the Garden

Zahara zinnia can thrive indoors or out. If you’re planting inside, use peat-based potting media and keep careful watch of the moisture levels, which are likely lower than they would be outdoors.

Peat-based Soil for Zahara Zinnias

You can plant Zahara zinnias close to each other without having to fear the spread of diseases due to their resistance to mildew and other common issues.


Creating Ideal Growing Conditions

The Zahara series was introduced in 2009 and has since become popular due to how easy it is to plant and care for, as well as its larger flower size and unusually bright colors, which attract pretty butterflies and bumblebees to your garden. They are the only completely disease-resistant variety.

Soil Preferences and Fertilization

Well-drained soil can be complemented by three to four inches of fertilizer, which should be reapplied every few weeks while the flowers are in season. Add two to three inches of mulch to preserve moisture.

You can find a good fertilizer at Nature Hills, Dr. Earth Annual Bloom Flower Garden Fertilizer 3-7-4, which is tailored to the needs of annual flowers in garden beds.

Light, Temperature, and Watering

Zahara zinnia can withstand direct sunlight and baking temperatures, making it a common addition to back patios and driveways, which are usually sun-drenched and under-watered. Their popping colors don’t bleach in the sun. These plants do especially well with cooler night temperatures.

Watering Zahara Zinnias

You’ll want to maximize moisture levels by using soaker hoses or an irrigation drip system, rather than overhead watering. Rain Bird has a great irrigation drip system, Drip Irrigation 1/4″ Emitter Tubing, which claims to “work like a soaker hose, only better.” It waters plants uniformly with pre-installed emitters that are spaced every 6 inches.

Pests and Diseases: No Concern!

The Zahara zinnia is far sturdier than most plants, including other varieties of zinnia. It is resistant to mildew and leaf spot, as well as heat, humidity, and drought, which cause the most common plant ailments.

Planting Seasons

If you plant your Zahara zinnia in a warm April but then encounter a chilly May, don’t worry! These flowers are hardy and will simply wait to bloom until the temperature is right. This leafy plant keeps its array of colors on full display through all the hot summer months and well into autumn.


Using Zahara Zinnia for Decor

Zahara zinnias can do more than brighten up your garden! Bring the beauty of these flowers inside to accent your house–or make the day of a friend or partner when you gift them your home-grown flowers! Plus, cutting the stems actually helps the plant create new branches and continue flowering.

With so many colors to choose from, it’s easy to make a gorgeous summer bouquet of Zahara zinnia to give as a gift or to create a radiant centerpiece. Zahara Coral Rose, Zahara Fire, Zahara Scarlet, Zahara Starlight Rose, and Zahara Yellow are just some of the color varieties you can pair.

Zahara zinnias are very versatile. You can put together a simple bouquet of white zinnias, hosta leaves, bolted basil, and Queen Anne’s lace pods for an elegant table centerpiece or you can pair pale pink and coral zinnias for a cheerful summer bouquet to give next time you attend a garden party.

For a truly special, exotic arrangement, pair white zinnia with branches of walnut and young weeping willow, Chinese lantern, ‘Limelight’ hydrangea, Siam tulip, and orchids.

Zahara Zinnia Bouquet

You can also place stems of clary sage between multicolored zinnias for a simple, wild, farm-fresh look.

Zinnias are popular in bridal bouquets because they add volume to other, more expensive flowers. They are also ideal for decorating cakes because they can withstand heat and long hours at varied temperatures without wilting.

You can find a zinnia for every occasion, so be sure to grow enough to keep the inside of your home as lush as your garden beds. There are as many petal colors as there are opportunities to decorate with these flowers. Get creative!

Note that Zahara zinnias are not fragrant flowers, so if you want a flowery-scented bouquet, make sure you pair them with flowers that have a smell.


Start Growing Zahara Zinnia Today!

When you think of summer (and late spring, and early fall…), think of thick, multicolored beds of Zahara zinnia. Each flower has its own watercolor-like petals. Growing these flowers is the perfect project for a relaxed summer at home: low effort and high reward!

Now that you’ve learned how to grow and decorate your Zahara zinnia, expand your knowledge of how to care for these plants by checking out 3 Important Factors of Zinnia Care on our site.

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