Zinnia Elegans Jacq profile

Zinnia Elegans Jacq, originally from Mexico, is a famous ornamental plant with single, double, curly, wrinkled leaves and a variety of horticultural varieties of different colors. It is widely cultivated throughout China and sometimes becomes wild.

Zinnia Elegans Jacq picture

Zinnia Elegans Jacq morphological characteristics

Zinnia Elegans Jacq is an annual herb.Stem erect, 30-100 cm tall, hispid or bristly. Leaves are broadly ovoid or oblong-elliptic, 5-10 cm long, 2.5-5 cm wide, base slightly cordate clasped, both surfaces coarse, densely short hispid below, basal with three veins.Inflorescences 5-6.5 cm in diameter, solitary ends, without a hollow hypertrophy peduncle. Involucral is bud broad campanulate;Involucral bracts multilayered, broadly ovate or ovate-elliptic, outer ca. 5 mm long, inner ca. 10 mm long, margin black. The upper end of the supporting plate is provided with an extended attachment. Attached is a purplish red, fringed triangle. Lingual flowers are  dark red, rose, violet or white, tongue obovate, apex 2-3 dentate lobed or entire, above pubescent, below pubescent. Tubules are yellow or orange, 7-8 mm long, apex lobes ovate-lanceolate, covered with russet hairs. Female flower achene is obovate, 6-7 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, flat, ventral midline and margins 1-ribbed, apical truncate, base narrow, densely hairy. Tubular achene obovate-cuneate, 7-8 mm long, 3.5-4 mm wide, extremely flat, sparsely hairy, apically short-toothed. zinnia elegans Jacq garden variety has single, double, rolled, ruffled and various colours. Flowering period is From June to September, and fruiting period is from July to October.

Habitat of Zinnia Elegans Jacq Origin

Native to Mexico, a famous ornamental plant widely cultivated throughout China, sometimes becoming wild. It is introduced in Yunnan (Xishuangbanna, Mengzi, etc.) and southwest Sichuan. 

Zinnia Elegans Jacq growth habits

Zinnia Elegans Jacq prefers warm, cold, sunshine, heat, strong sex, drought, poor food, and no continuous production. The deep root stem is hard and not prone to lodging. It grows well in rich, deep soil. The suitable temperature for the growing period is 15-30°C.

Zinnia Elegans Jacq main value

The botanical garden

Zinnia Elegans Jacq has large colorful flowers, dry flowers, long flowering period and beautiful plant type. It can be used in flower beds, borders and flower belts according to height. It's also used in potted plants.

medicinal

The whole plant can treat dysentery, gonorrhea, papillae, cold fever, stomatitis, wind fire toothache.

Zinnia Elegans Jacq Plant culture

Zinnia Elegans Jacq has a long blooming period, from June to September. The flowers open one after another, keeping the bright color for a long time, which symbolizes the lasting friendship. More interesting is that The first flower of Zinnia Elegans Jacq blooms at the top, and then the top of the side branches bloom's higher than the first, so it is also named "Pepp-height".

Zinnia Elegans Jacq flowers are so colorful that being potted to appreciate them, which can inspire motivation.