Magellan Series Zinnia is a compact annual flower that brings brilliant color and reliable performance to gardens across zones 3-10. This F1 hybrid, which won the 2005 AAS Flower Award, grows just 12-18 inches tall and blooms in a stunning range of colors including coral, cherry, ivory, and mixed tones. With flowers appearing in as little as 50-59 days, it's bred for tough conditions, thriving in heat and drought while delivering consistent, early blooms that keep coming all season.
18
Full Sun
Moderate
3-10
18in H x ?in W
—
High
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The Magellan Series earned its AAS recognition for a reason: gardeners get brilliant coral petals, dependable flower production, and flowers arriving earlier than you'd expect from a compact plant. These zinnias were specifically bred for southern climates and hot, dry gardens where other varieties might struggle. The coral variety remains the standout, though cherry, ivory, and mixed selections offer gardeners plenty of color flexibility in a neat, tidy footprint.
Magellan Series Zinnias are cut flowers and garden color, bred to fill borders, containers, and mixed beds with reliable bloom. The compact 12-18 inch height and early flowering make them ideal for front-of-border plantings or small-space gardens where taller varieties would overwhelm the space.
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Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your last frost date. Sow seeds on the soil surface or just barely covered, as they need light to germinate; maintain soil temperature around 70-75°F for reliable germination. Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost has passed and soil has warmed.
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days. Transplant outdoors after your last frost date when soil temperature reaches at least 60°F, spacing plants 18 inches apart with rows 24 inches apart.
Direct sow seeds outdoors after the last frost date and soil has warmed, pressing seeds lightly into the soil surface where light can reach them.
Pinch back the growing tips of young plants when they reach 4-6 inches tall to encourage branching and a fuller, more compact form. Deadhead spent flowers regularly throughout the season to keep plants blooming generously.
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“The Magellan Series represents the kind of purposeful breeding that matters to real gardeners. Developed as an F1 hybrid, this variety combines vigor and reliability with a compact growth habit, specifically engineered for gardens facing heat stress and drought conditions. The coral cultivar earned its 2005 AAS Flower Winner distinction by proving itself in trial gardens across North America, recognized for the consistency and earliness that home gardeners desperately want from summer annuals.”