Profusion Series Zinnia is a compact hybrid that rewrote the rules for summer bedding. This cross between Zinnia elegans and angustifolia grows just 12 to 18 inches tall, making it dense and tidy without the legginess that plagues traditional zinnias. It flowers in 50 to 59 days and blooms continuously all season long, earning multiple AAS and Fleuroselect gold medals for its combination of early flowers, disease resistance, and ease of growth. Hardy in zones 3 through 10 and thriving in full sun, it transforms tired garden beds into award-winning color from midsummer through frost.
18
Full Sun
Moderate
3-10
18in H x ?in W
—
High
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The Profusion Series earned its accolades because it solves real problems. Instead of growing tall and sparse, it stays compact and naturally full. Its resistance to powdery mildew, a scourge of traditional zinnias in humid climates, means you'll spend less time troubleshooting and more time enjoying waves of flowers. The AAS judges specifically praised its early and continuous blooms, disease resistance, and low-maintenance nature, which translates to a plant that performs even when gardeners forget about it.
Profusion zinnias excel as summer bedding plants, filling garden beds and borders with months of continuous color. Their compact size and tidy habit make them exceptional in containers, raised beds, and small spaces where taller zinnias would overwhelm. Gardeners use them to create bold blocks of color in mixed borders, to edge pathways, or to fill in gaps left by spring bulbs.
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Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds on the soil surface or barely cover them, as they need light to germinate. Keep soil moist and warm at around 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Seedlings should emerge in 5 to 10 days.
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Transplant outdoors after all danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed. Plant at 18-inch spacing to allow air circulation and room for the compact form to develop fully.
Direct sow after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Scatter seeds on prepared soil and press gently into contact with the earth. Keep soil consistently moist until seedlings emerge.
Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage continuous blooming throughout the season. The compact growth habit means pruning is minimal; focus instead on removing only dead or damaged growth as needed.
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“The Profusion Series represents a deliberate breeding effort to improve zinnia performance in summer gardens. By crossing Zinnia elegans, the tall cutting zinnia, with the low-growing Zinnia angustifolia, breeders created a hybrid that inherited the best traits of both parents: the flower power and color range of elegans with the compact, disease-resistant character of angustifolia. The resulting varieties won multiple major awards, including AAS and Fleuroselect gold medals, recognition that encouraged widespread adoption among gardeners frustrated with floppy, mildew-prone zinnias.”