Asteraceae
Common Zinnia
Zinnia elegans
How to grow it
Five steps, start to bloom.
Written for beginners. If you've never grown anything before, this is all you need to keep this plant alive and happy.
Pick a spot
Find a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sun. Plant it outdoors, ideally sheltered from the harshest afternoon wind.
Plant it
Any good all-purpose potting mix or well-drained garden soil will do. Leave at least 18 inches around the plant so its roots and leaves have room to mature. Water it in gently once it's settled.
Water it
Water when the top inch of soil feels dry, roughly once a week in summer. Soak the soil, then let it breathe before the next round.
Feed & tend
This one is very forgiving. A balanced all-purpose fertiliser at the start of the growing season is plenty, and you can skip a month without harm. Plan on 10 minutes a week of hands-on care: watering, a quick trim, checking for pests.
Enjoy the bloom
Expect flowers in June to October. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more, and take a minute to notice them. This is why you planted it.
Year at a glance
What to do, month by month.
Approximate for a temperate North American zone. Shift earlier the further south you garden, later the further north.
Jan
January: Sow
Seed indoors
Feb
February: Sow
Seed indoors
Mar
March: Plant
Move outdoors
Apr
April: Plant
Move outdoors
May
May: Grow
Active growth
Jun
June: Bloom
Flowers expected
Jul
July: Bloom
Flowers expected
Aug
August: Bloom
Flowers expected
Sep
September: Bloom
Flowers expected
Oct
October: Bloom
Flowers expected
Nov
November: Rest
Dormant
Dec
December: Rest
Dormant
Pet & people safety
We haven't verified this plant yet.
We only publish toxicity information when a human has checked it against a primary source. Until that happens, treat this plant as potentially harmful to pets and children: don't let it be eaten or chewed, and consult the ASPCA or your vet if anyone does. You can also search the ASPCA's public toxic-plant database below.
Bloomwise is not a substitute for veterinary or medical advice. Every line above comes from a hand-verified reference.
Recommended supplies
#adHand-picked tools for this plant.
We may earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. Every product is curated by hand and chosen because it actually helps with this plant, not because it pays the highest rate.
Amazon
Osmocote Plus Smart-Release Flower & Vegetable Food (8 lb)
One application at sowing feeds zinnias for up to six months. Mix into the planting hole and skip the fertilizer schedule for the rest of the season.
$26.99 approx.
Amazon
Corona ComfortGEL Bypass Hand Pruners
Deadheading zinnias every three days is how you get blooms into October. A light pair of pruners makes it a pleasure.
$16.99 approx.
Burpee
Burpee 'Benary's Giant Mix' Zinnia Seeds
The florist-grade zinnia: 4-inch dahlia-form blooms on 3-foot stems, pollinator-magnet colors. Our top zinnia pick.
$6.95 approx.
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Frequently asked
Common questions.
- What USDA zones does Common Zinnia grow in?
- Common Zinnia is hardy in USDA zones 2a to 11b. If your winter lows fall outside that range, grow it in a container you can bring indoors, or treat it as an annual.
- How often should I water Common Zinnia?
- Water about once a week in summer, adjusting for rainfall. Soak the soil, then let it breathe before watering again.
- How much sunlight does Common Zinnia need?
- Common Zinnia prefers at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.
- Is Common Zinnia safe for pets?
- We haven't verified toxicity information for Common Zinnia. Treat it as potentially harmful and keep it out of reach of pets and children. If a pet eats any part of it, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
- Is Common Zinnia good for beginners?
- Yes, this is a forgiving plant that tolerates inconsistent watering and the occasional missed feeding. A good choice for a first garden.
Sources
Plant facts on this page come from a blend of public-domain and open-licensed datasets: Biodiversity Heritage Library (historical botanical illustrations, public domain), USDA PLANTS (taxonomy, public domain), GBIF (occurrence and taxonomy, CC-BY 4.0), OpenFarm (crop guides, CC-BY-SA 3.0), and Open-Meteo (climate and hardiness lookup, CC-BY 4.0). Toxicity records come from the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and the Pet Poison Helpline; every row is hand-verified against a primary reference.