Dwarf Zinnia
Persian Carpet Zinnia is a stunning heirloom that transforms sunny borders and containers into jewel-toned tapestries of red, scarlet, orange, gold, chocolate, and cream. This compact cultivar of Zinnia haageana grows just 12 to 16 inches tall and wide, making it far more refined than its taller cousins, with smaller, narrower deep green leaves and a naturally bushy form. Many of its simple and double flowers are boldly bicolored, echoing the subtle color variations known as abrash in traditional textile dyeing. Hardy from zones 3 to 11, it reaches flowering maturity in about 70 days and thrives in full sun with moderate water.
9-12 inches apart
Full Sun
Moderate
3-11
16in H x 16in W
Annual
Moderate
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The blooms are where this zinnia truly shines. Two-inch double flowers in rich jewel tones arrive abundantly all season, and the bicolored petals create that unmistakable Persian rug effect that inspired its name. Unlike sprawling zinnias, the compact, mounded growth habit means it works beautifully in tight spaces, borders, and containers without needing constant deadheading to stay tidy. Heat and drought tolerance make it reliable even in challenging summers, and it germinates quickly and predictably once soil warms.
Persian Carpet Zinnia is grown as an ornamental flowering plant for sunny gardens, beds, and borders. Its compact, mounded form and prolific blooms make it especially valuable in container gardening, window boxes, and color bowls, where its dense growth habit provides season-long color without sprawling. Gardeners also use it to create vibrant edge plantings and combine it with complementary annuals in mixed containers.
Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date. Sow seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep and 3 inches apart in seed starting mix. Keep the soil warm and moist, and provide strong light. Feed seedlings with half-strength fertilizer every 2 weeks. Wait to transplant outdoors until temperatures stay reliably above 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night, when the plants have several sets of true leaves.
Transplant outdoors after your last frost date, when nighttime temperatures remain above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Space plants 8 to 10 inches apart in the garden. Zinnias do not benefit from early sowing, so if direct sowing, wait for warm weather.
Direct sow 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, once soil has warmed. Zinnias do not benefit from being sown early; wait for warmer weather and better germination. When seedlings are about 2 inches tall, thin to one plant every 8 inches.
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“This heirloom variety carries the botanical name Zinnia haageana, honoring its distinct identity within the larger zinnia family. While the exact origins of this particular cultivar in seed catalogs are not detailed in available records, its status as a beloved heirloom means it has been preserved and passed along by gardeners for generations, valued enough to remain in cultivation and in seed catalogs today despite the rise of modern hybrids. Its persistence in the catalogs of contemporary heirloom seed companies speaks to the loyalty gardeners feel toward its reliable beauty and easy growing nature.”