elegant zinnia

Zinnia elegans Jacq.

Elegant zinnia is an upright annual whose familiar garden forms display considerable variety. North Carolina’s extension account describes plants with rough green leaves and large, colourful flower heads. Cultivated forms range from relatively simple heads to densely doubled displays, so the species cannot be represented by one petal colour or arrangement. NC State Extension: Zinnia elegans

Botanical name

Kew accepts the conserved name Zinnia elegans Jacq. and treats the catalog’s Zinnia violacea Cav. as its rejected-name synonym. Both names refer to the same garden-zinnia species here. Kew POWO: Zinnia elegans Kew POWO: Zinnia violacea

Recognizing the plant

Leaves stand in opposite pairs and clasp the stem without a leaf stalk. Their outlines are oval to elliptic, with smooth margins and several prominent veins. Beneath each flower head, broad overlapping bracts form a supporting cup. Flora of North America distinguishes the showy outer ray florets from the many yellow disc florets in the centre; double cultivars carry additional rays. NC State Extension: Zinnia elegans Alan R. Smith, Flora of North America: Zinnia elegans/violacea, via BioGator

Bloom window

North Carolina cultivation account

Garden plants flower during summer and fall, with a possible slowdown at the peak of summer. NC State Extension: Zinnia elegans

Native range

Kew records a native range from Mexico to Nicaragua, extending through several Central American countries. It has also become established far beyond that area. The North American flora records escaped plants in disturbed places in eastern and southern states. Kew POWO: Zinnia elegans Alan R. Smith, Flora of North America: Zinnia elegans/violacea, via BioGator

Ecological relationships

The extension account records butterflies, bees and hummingbirds among the flower visitors. NC State Extension: Zinnia elegans

Botanical sources

Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.