There’s no question surrounding the beauty of zinnia flowers. With their intricate array of petals, bold colors, and delicate designs, every gardener should incorporate zinnias into their garden.
Though they make excellent border plants, they look even more splendid when planted in pots.
Zinnias in pots are ideal as they are an annual plant. This means they will need digging up from your garden at the end of the growing season. When planted in pots, not only are they easier to maintain during the year but are also a lot easier to clear and prepare your soil before the start of winter.
But with so many zinnia varieties to choose from, which ones should you select? Keep on reading for 6 of the most beautiful zinnias to plant in pots for a showstopping garden.
Types of Zinnias
There are four key classifications of zinnias, each with different varieties to choose from. These four species are:
- Common zinnia
- Zinnia Angustifolia
- Peruvian zinnia
- Desert zinnia.
Common Zinnia
Common zinnias are well known for their vibrant colors and long blooming season between early summer and the first frosts.
They can come in a huge variety of colors, sizes, and petal shapes. Common zinnias can grow up to 3 feet tall with flowers open and exposing the center. Because of this, they are extremely popular with pollinators due to the pollen being easily accessible.
Flower forms come in single or double rows of petals, rounded or sharp along the edge. During the growing season, a golden circle forms around the center of each flower.
Zinnia Angustifolia
Native to Mexico, Zinnia Angustifolia (also known as narrow-leaf zinnia) is an excellent coverage flower.
The stems are shorter reaching 40cm in height and are ideally planted together en masse with each plant spreading 30cm wide. Zinnia Angustifolia is ideal for protecting soil during the hot summer months from high temperatures.
Each flower has a daisy-like appearance that grows in bright yellows, oranges, reds, pinks, and whites. With wide-open petals, they are also a popular choice for pollinators.
They make ideal zinnias in pots due to their coverage and are particularly beautiful planted in hanging baskets.
You can expect your Zinnia Angustifolia flowers to bloom from mid-summer to mid-autumn.
Peruvian Zinnia
Also known as field zinnias, this tropical species can grow up to 1 meter in height and blooms during summer and autumn.
With rounded flower petals similar to daisies, Peruvian zinnias are available in an array of colors, including orange, pink, red, and yellow. The petal formation is often in a singular ring around the center, making them a popular plant with butterflies.
Desert Zinnia
Desert zinnias, perhaps more commonly known as dwarf zinnias, are a smaller variety each growing a maximum of 10 inches in height. Unlike Peruvian zinnias, desert zinnias have multiple branches with many leaves, similar in appearance to rosemary.
Each branch contains delicate white or yellow flowers. These flowers have fewer petals that are large and rounded with a slight toothed edge.
Desert zinnias grow in shrub form and are perfect for planting in pots.
6 Beautiful Zinnias in Pots
Zinnia Elegans Peppermint Stick
An unusual zinnia but one that would be very striking grown in a container, peppermint stick zinnias offer large bright, patterned flowers.
Each flower has two colors in a striping pattern that can be a range of combinations, including red, white, orange, yellow, and purple.
The petals are in multiple rows built on top of each other with a rounded edge, and each flower grows to 2 inches wide.
Zinnia Swizzle
A stunning flower and one not to overlook when considering which zinnias to plant in your pots.
Zinnia swizzles bloom between July and October. Their petals are rounded and in multiple rows on top of one another. Each flower offers brilliantly bold shades of pink, red, and orange. Swizzle zinnias provide an inner contrasting color ring towards the center of the flower.
The plants stand tall on single stems reaching a height of 30cms and are surrounded by large, deep green leaves.
Queen Red Lime
This show-stopper zinnia grows in a sphere shape of petals on top of petals. The petals begin in a deep, intense color around the center, then develop from light to dark as you progress through the petal rows.
On the edge of each petal, the bright red flowers have a subtle lime tip on the edge. Each stem grows up to 60 cm and flowers between July and October.
Purple Prince
As the name gives away, these zinnias have rounded magenta petals with a lime green center. Petals grow in up to 4 rows making a striking contrast to the long, deep green foliage.
Each stem grows up to 90cm tall, making purple prince zinnias a bold choice for planting in pots. Like many zinnias, the purple prince will bloom between July and October.
Soleado Zinnia
Soleado zinnias are bright with tri-colored petals. Each flower has a deep red center, followed by bold orange petals that end in bright yellow tips. The petals are formed in two rows that help to create a full flower head.
Soleado zinnias grow up to 45cm tall on long, upright stems. They resemble almost a cross between a daisy and a sunflower for their vibrant colors and soft, round petals.
Red Spider
Unlike the other varieties mentioned above, the red spider zinnia does not have a full flower head. The petals are in a single row, with each one long and curling into a pointed tip at the end. Petals are widely dispersed hence the name ‘red spider’, resembling the curled long legs of a spider.
Each flower is powerful in appearance, with sunset red petals on top of deep green stems. The stems grow up to 60cm tall and will flower until the first frost.
Each of these beautiful and unique flowers will make an excellent display of zinnias in pots for your garden. They are all brilliant for attracting pollinators into your garden, have striking appearances, and offer a long flowering period later in the growing season.
These zinnias prefer access to full sunlight and require well-drained soil. They will need to be regularly watered when planted in containers as the soil in pots loses water faster than ground soil.
For an even radiant and eye-catching display of your zinnias in pots, consider planting a combination of zinnias that grow at different heights, produce different colored flowers, and offer a range of petal formations.
If you are looking for more ideas for what to plant in your pots or perhaps have a container garden, take a look at these posts for inspiration:
- 7 of the Best Flowers For Hanging Baskets
- How to Care For Potted Tulips
- 6 Allium Varieties To Grow In Your Garden
- 8 Low Maintenance Outdoor Potted Plants
