Zowie!™ Yellow Flame Zinnia Seeds

All-America Selections (AAS) Winner 2006

You'll love the unique look and exciting color changes of this All-America Selection winner! Zowie! Yellow Flame is a zinnia like no other, with several layers of bright petals surrounding a big central red-and-yellow cone. Most excitingly, the blooms change colors as they mature, turning from single daisies of yellow-edged magenta-pink to double blooms of orange-red with yellow.

Zowie! Yellow Flame is a showstopper. The flowers are 3 to 5 inches wide, with a prominent central golden-brown cone that gradually disappears into the bloom as layers of petals accumulate. You can watch these flowers changing almost daily, and pick them at any stage for an entirely different look.

Even a small planting of Zowie! gives you a huge display of color. These plants are a good size for cut flowers, too—24 to 30 inches tall and about 24 to 27 inches wide, with thick, sturdy stems and good branching. As with all zinnias, the more flowers you cut, the quicker you get new buds, so fill your vases.

Zowie! is one of Park customers' all-time favorite zinnia varieties, with positive comments about its many looks, its ease of growth, and its staying power in the garden. Like all zinnias, it is very tolerant of heat and drought, and even puts up with humidity. It begins blooming in early spring and continues right into fall in most climates, needing little attention beyond cutting or deadheading the blooms to encourage new bud development. So simple, so beautiful.

Zinnias are one of the easiest annuals to grow, attracting pollinators—butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and more—to the garden, as well as beneficial insects such as ladybugs, which destroy potential pests. A member of the Aster family, it is a very good companion to vegetable plants, bringing in the "good guys" and helping to repel the pests. Of course, it's also perfect for the annual flower bed and for containers of all kinds.

Zowie! asks only for well-drained soil. Its biggest enemy is mildew, so water the plants with a soaker hose or other ground-based spray to minimize wetting the foliage—or, if this isn't possible, water them early in the day, so that the leaves can dry off before nightfall. Space the plants generously to prevent overcrowding.

When cutting the blooms for the vase, trim off all the foliage; unlike the blooms, it does not last well after cutting. Zinnia is a lovely companion to other summer bloomers in the vase; it has sturdy stems that help it keep its upright posture over a long period. Simply put, this is one of the easiest and most rewarding annuals to grow from seed. Enjoy.