Top 35 Zinnia Types Every Gardener Should Know About

There are 22 species in the genus Zinnia, some of which have been highly cultivated and are popular summer bedding plants worldwide! Zinnia elegans in particular is a top choice for gardeners everywhere as it brings bold color into the garden, with many different lovely varieties to choose from. 

Zinnia plants are native to Mexico and its surrounding regions and are said to have been cultivated by the Aztecs as early as 1520. Since then, these plants have come a long way, and were the first flowers to be grown in space in the International Space Station!

These flowers are long-lasting, come in many vibrant shades, and a variety of beautiful forms such as cactus, pompom, and dahlia-flowered! They can be single, semi-double, and fully double, and come in a range of sizes to suit beds, borders, containers, and more! Plant them in cottage-style, informal, patio, and prairie gardens. 

Unique Zinnia Varieties To Add To Your Garden

Once you know how to care for zinnias, here are the varieties you can try growing:

#1 Zinnia elegans

The common zinnia, Z. elegans, is a firm summer favorite and is brilliant for bringing bold color to sunny borders. These beautiful annuals grow between 1 and 3 feet tall, offering a range of heights to suit any garden style! Common zinnia plants come in a range of colors and flower forms. 

#2 Benary’s Giant Carmine Rose (Z. elegans)

This delightful zinnia flower is a member of the Bernary’s series and will draw attention in any garden! It grows as tall as 50 inches, making it perfect for adding some architectural height to beds and borders. It has fully doubled, dahlia-like blooms that can grow 4-6 inches wide and are a lovely shade of carmine rose. 

#3 Benary’s Giant Deep Red (Z. elegans)

Bernary’s Giant Deep Red is a stunning annual that grows as large as 40 inches. It has double, deep crimson flowers that appear from mid-summer through to fall. These dahlia-like blooms are as wide as 6 inches and will bring rich color into city and courtyard gardens! 

#4 Benary’s Giant Lime (Z. elegans)

This unique zinnia flower has blooms that grow as wide as 6 inches! Their dahlia-like flowers are fully double, lime green, and have golden yellow stars surrounding their central disks. These beautiful blooms are highly attractive to pollinators such as bees and butterflies and would make a wonderful addition to bouquets. 

#5 Carousel Mix (Z. elegans)

The Carousel Mix is a delightful collection of 3-4-inch single and semi-double zinnia plants that grow as tall as 20 inches. Their vibrant blooms are daisy-like and multicolored, coming in the most wonderful color combinations! Depending on the climate, they bloom from late spring or early summer, lasting through to fall. Plant them along sunny borders to bring a splash of vibrant color!  

#6 Dreamland Scarlett (Z. elegans)

Part of the Dreamland series, Dreamland Scarlett is a compact plant growing to a maximum of 8 inches. It has vibrant scarlet red, fully double blooms that grow as wide as 4 inches! This variety is fantastic for brightening up containers, patios, and city gardens, and also makes a brilliant cut flower! 

#7 Dreamland Yellow (Z. elegans)

Dreamland Yellow is a compact zinnia variety that only reaches 14 inches high! Its small size makes it ideal for container and patio gardens or the front of cottage-style garden borders. It has semi-double, golden yellow flowers that reach a maximum width of 4 inches. 

#8 Inca (Z. elegans)

Inca is a truly show-stopping zinnia flower. Its large, double flowers have narrow, vivid orange petals that curl inwards at the ends resembling cactus dahlias! The blooms can be up to 5 inches across and will bring bold color to city, informal, and prairie gardens. These zinnia plants grow between 2 and 3 feet and have a long blooming season from early summer to frost! 

#9 Magellan Yellow (Z. elegans)

This vividly colored zinnia is a heat and drought-tolerant variety! It is relatively compact, reaching a maximum height of 18 inches with large, attractive flowers. These blooms are buttery-yellow, fully double, and are the perfect choice for bringing butterflies into the area! Grow them in beds, borders, and containers. 

#10 Mazurkia (Z. elegans)

Mazurka is an eye-catching, bi-colored zinnia variety. They are mound-forming, growing as tall as 2 feet with a spread of 1 foot. Flowers grow to 4 inches across, are double, and have rich scarlet petals tipped with pure white! These plants are fantastic for bringing a pop of color to sunny borders and patios. 

#11 Pinca (Z. elegans)

This show-stopping zinnia has stunning flowers that grow to 5 inches in diameter. They resemble cactus dahlias with fully double blooms packed with narrow petals that curl and twist at the ends. These blooms are bright rosy pink with pinkish-green centers. Pinca makes a wonderful addition to bouquets and cut flowers displays as well as the back of sunny borders! 

#12 Preciosa White (Z. elegans)

Preciosa White (part of the Preciosa series) has pretty dahlia-like flowers with fully double, snow-white blooms. Their white flowers contrast nicely with their rich green foliage. They have a compact branching habit and only reach 10-12 inches tall! These zinnias are ideal for container planting as their small size makes them suitable for pots, window boxes, and planters. 

#13 Purple Prince (Z. elegans)

A delightful zinnia variety, Purple Prince is known for attracting butterflies and bees into the garden. It has fully-double, magenta flowers that grow as large as 4 inches with contrasting sunshine yellow centers. Reaching heights of 35 inches, these plants are great for the back of borders or for adding depth to flower beds. Grow them in pollinator, cottage-style, or cutting gardens. 

#14 Senora (Z. elegans)

Senora is a unique and eye-catching zinnia that blooms prolifically over summer and fall. Its salmon-rose blooms are cactus-formed with narrow, twisted petals, and will grow between 3 and 5 inches. This zinnia is an ideal cut flower plant as it will yield multiple cuts throughout the blooming season! 

#15 Short Stuff Orange (Z. elegans)

A member of the Short Stuff series, Short Stuff Orange is a compact and bushy annual that only grows as tall as 12 inches! Their double, fiery orange blooms grow 3 inches wide and have deep crimson central disks adorned with a ring of small golden stars. Plant these low-maintenance zinnias in containers in patio and city gardens or use them for garden edging! 

#16 Sprite Mixed (Z. elegans)

This beautiful mix of bushy annuals grows to 18 inches high and has small, double flowers that are borne atop sturdy, upright stems. Their blooms come in shades of pale to dark pink, red, orange, and yellow, and have central disks studded with a ring of yellow stars! They are long-lasting once cut, making them wonderful as cut flowers for the home. 

#17 Super Cactus Lilac Em­peror (Z. elegans)

Super Cactus Lilac Emperor is, as its name suggests, a cactus-flowered zinnia! Its unique and interesting flowers reach 6 inches across and are fully double. These blooms have narrow, long petals that come in rich shades of lilac to vivid purple and have starry golden yellow centers. 

#18 Uproar Rose (Z. elegans)

A delightful zinnia variety, Uproar Rose has a bushy habit and produces solitary double flowers and upright stems. Its blooms are vivid magenta-pink with a halo of buttery yellow petals surrounding its dark purple center! These plants grow as tall as 36 inches and look phenomenal paired with contrasting colored zinnias in a vase. 

#19 Queeny Lime Orange (Z. elegans)

Queeny Lime Orange is a unique and eye-catching variety. This zinnia flower grows 3 inches wide, is double formed, and has soft, coral-orange petals that lighten towards its central disk. The central disk is deep red-orange to pink and has a pretty halo of lime green petals! This variety blooms prolifically from early summer to frost and will bring bold color to beds and borders. 

#20 Queen Red Lime (Z. elegans)

This lovely zinnia plant grows as tall as 24 inches and is perfect for attracting pollinators into the garden! It has dahlia-like, fully double flowers that are rich red, lightening towards its deep red central disk. Its central disk is surrounded by a contrasting halo of bright lime green. Queen Lime Red has nectar-rich blooms that are known to attract bees and butterflies into the garden! 

#21 Zinderella Lilac (Z. elegans)

This award-winning double-flowered zinnia has stunning pom pom flowers that are packed with fringed petals and surrounded by a layer of longer, ruffled petals. These blooms come in shades of lilac pink and have contrastingly dark central eyes surrounded by a halo of yellow-green petals. Zinderella Lilac grows as tall as 36 inches and looks lovely woven throughout sunny borders! 

#22 Zinderella Peach (Z. elegans)

Another unique pom pom-shaped zinnia, Zinderella Peach, has a central tuft of densely packed peach-orange petals surrounded by an outer layer of longer peach-pink ruffled petals. They have deep red central eyes that contrast nicely with the rest of the flower! Plant them in cottage-style, informal, or meadow gardens. 

#23 Zinderella Purple (Z. elegans)

Another member of the Zinderella series, Zinderella Purple produces punchy, purple, pom pom (scabiosa-flowered) blooms! These flowers have bright magenta petals, sometimes tipped with yellow, and dark red central eyes. Zinderella Purple grows as large as 2 feet and has long-lasting flowers perfect for a quirky cut flower display! 

#24 Zowie! Yellow Flame (Z. elegans)

This unique zinnia variety will certainly draw attention in the garden! It has 4-inch, semi-double flowers that are dark pink to red at the base and golden yellow at the tips! Its central eye is deep red adorned with a ring of tiny, starry yellow flowers! This sunny flower grows up to 28 inches tall and is wonderful for bringing a splash of tropical color to container gardens and patios. 

#25 Zinnia grandiflora

Z. grandiflora, commonly known as little golden zinnia, prairie zinnia, or wild zinnia, is native to the southwestern US. They have a long blooming season from late spring to fall, with small, 1-inch flowers that have sunshine yellow outer rays and dark orange-yellow centers. These plants are well-suited for rock and drought-resistant landscapes! 

#26 Aztec Orange (Z. haageana)

Aztec Orange is a compact zinnia variety that only reaches 16 inches. It is a summer annual, blooming from summer into fall. This lovely zinnia is well-branched and produces many small, double, yellow-orange flowers with dark orange central disks. It is a wonderful choice for containers or edging at the front of sunny borders!

#27 Old Mexico (Z. haageana)

This compact, mound-forming zinnia plant grows between 12 and 18 inches tall with a 12-inch spread. It blooms from early summer to the frost with profusions of small, 2.5 inch double and semi-double flowers! These blooms are bright red with sunshine yellow tips and have a rich dark red center adorned with a ring of tiny yellow stars. 

#28 Soleado (Z. haageana)

Soleado is a vigorous and compact zinnia variety that grows as large as 16 inches. Its small, single flowers have wide golden-orange petals with paler golden yellow edges. It also has a dark central disk surrounded by a contrasting dark brown central eye. Soleado is a wonderful choice for brightening up patios and balconies! 

#29 Zinnia marylandica

Zinnia marylandica is a beautiful hybrid zinnia, which is a cross between Z. elegans and Z. angustifolia. This variety is more compact and bushy than other zinnia plants,  and was bred to be more disease-resistant! They are also referred to as “Mounds of Color” due to their vibrant shades of oranges, pinks, and yellows! 

#30 Double Zahara Fire (Z. marylandica)

The award-winning Double Zahara Fire has vibrant brilliant orange flowers that emerge in early summer and last through to fall! These blooms are fully doubled with a ring of tiny yellow stars appearing around its central disk as it matures. Double Zahara Fire is compact and leaf-spot and powdery mildew resistant making it ideal for container planting. 

#31 Double Zahara Salmon Rose (Z. marylandica)

This beautiful annual is a compact, bushy zinnia variety that looks fantastic in cottage-style, patio, and informal landscapes! It has double flowers which are vivid pink towards the edge and fade to soft salmon pink in the center. As the flower ages, a ring of yellow stars emerge, surrounding the plant’s central disk. 

#32 Double Zahara Strawberry (Z. marylandica)

Double Zahara Strawberry is one of the most delightful double-flowered dwarf zinnias available! Only growing as tall as 18 inches, these plants are great for containers and pots, but also look stunning planted along cottage-style borders. Their flowers are rich raspberry pink with a ring of golden stars emerging around its central disk with maturity. 

#33 Zahara Starlight Rose (Z. marylandica)

One of the most beautiful zinnias varieties, Zahara Starlight Rose produces an abundance of semi-double, 2.5-inch flowers over mid-summer and fall. These lovely flowers have white petals with a central streak of bright pink, surrounding an orangey central disk ringed with tiny golden orange stars! 

#34 Zinnia peruviana

Z. peruviana, or the Peruvian zinnia is an upright annual that bears single daisy-like flowers in warm shades of dark pink, red, yellow, and orange! These versatile plants bloom over summer and fall, and suit cottage-style as well as tropical landscapes! 

#35 Red Spider (Z. tenuifolia) 

This spider-like zinnia has small, vivid-red flowers with a dark brownish-red central eye. It is a compact variety that only reaches a maximum of 2 feet high, lending it to container gardens or edging at the front of garden borders. They are known for attracting bees with their nectar-rich flowers making them a good choice for pollinator gardens! 

Don’t forget to learn about zinnia symbolism to understand why people love growing this flower!