Pronounciation: Zi-KNEE-a ay-sir-OH-sa

Hardiness zones
Sunset 10-24
USDA 8-11

Landscape Use: This is a tough, diminuative accent plant for oasis, xeric, and desert landscape garden design themes.

Form & Character: Low prostrate, tender, bushy, cheerful, arid, gray.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, mostly herbaceous annual to short-lived perennial developing a woody base with age, moderate growth rate, low growing, less than 1-foot tall with spread to 2 feet.

Foliage/Texture: Narrow, lanceolate, glaucous gray, pubescent to about 1-inch long; fine texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Desert zinnia has a unique flower structure that is generally not noticed unless closely inspected. There is one flower head per stem, each head has 4 to 7 white (sometimes yellow) ray florets with somewhat toothed edges surrounded by 8 to 13 yellow disc florets; fruits inconspicuous, but botanically is a cypselae.

Seasonal Color: Desert zinnia flowers from May to early December, most profusely after the monsoon season during fall.

Temperature: This is another remarkably heat tolerant Zinnia species. Great for use in the arid Southwest lower deserts as a water conserving short-lived perennial, even in reflected light locations and western exposures.

Light: Full sun

Soil: Desert zinnia thrives growing in a well-drained soil with a neutral to slightly basic (alkaline) pH.

Watering: Infrequent waterings, especially during summer. Prefers soils on the drier side once established.

Pruning: None

Propagation: Seed

Disease and pests: Root rot if soil are chronically wet and pooly drained.

Additional comments: Desert zinnia is well suited for use in Phoenix as a white-flowering, color accent subshrub in xeric landscape themes. Its flowers attract butterflies, moths, flies, and bees. Young desert zinnia plants are often browsed by rabbits. This plant will not transplant due to its deep tap root.

Interesting factoid: The genus Zinnia was named by Linneas in honor of Johann Gottfried Zinn, a German ophthalmologist and botanist (1727-1759).