California Mix Zinnia Seeds

California Zinnia Mix blooms in brilliant colorful shades of orange, purple, red, white, and yellow during the high heat of the summer. Large 4–5″ blooms on strong stems make this mix perfect for the cut flower gardener. Very easy to grow and adds a rainbow of color to any planting.

Grows wild in Mexico, and is best as a direct-sow seed. Thin to 6–12″ apart. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong the blooming season and let go to seed for return volunteers the following year.

Planting by Zones

Zones 9-10

• Zinnias are fabulous cut flowers that attract tons and tons of beneficial insects and butterflies to the garden. In Zones 9 and 10 they grow best from spring through late summer; if happy they may bloom well into the winter!

Zones 2-8

• Grown as an annual. Start seed indoors 4 weeks before the last frost. A heating mat will help to get even germination if temperatures are chilly. Transplant out after the danger of frost is gone.

Planting California Zinnia Seeds

• Zinnia seeds are small and flat. They should be sown close to the surface of the soil. If you are starting the seeds indoors in trays or in starter pots, start seeds in a high-quality seed starting mix. Sprinkle the seed on top of well-moistened soil and cover with 1/4″ of finely sifted soil. Seeds will germinate in 3-10+ days.
• If you wish to direct sow the seeds, sow in well-worked soil that has been finely raked clear of debris. Cover with 1/4″ well-sifted soil.

Growing California Zinnia

• This old fashioned annual flower works well in vegetable gardens, wildflower gardens, and more! It’s easy to grow and makes an excellent cut flower. We grow zinnias both for cut flowers and to bring important pollinators to the farm.

Growing California Zinnia in Containers

• If you are planting zinnia in containers, make sure your container is at least 10″ deep. We do not recommend planting more than one plant per container as zinnias can get large. Overcrowding will cause the plant to be unhappy and provide fewer blooms. The larger the container, the more blooms you will get. Keep in mind containers will dry out faster because they have more surface area and less soil to hold onto moisture.

Harvesting California Zinnia Flowers

• Cheerfully colored zinnia blooms spread joy in the garden and make for great cut flowers too. Harvest flowers early in the morning and place directly in a vase of room temperature water for the longest-lasting blooms.

Southern California Pro-tips

• In Zones 9 and 10, zinnias will grow happily from early spring until late fall.
• DO NOT overhead water as this promotes disease.
• Side dress with an organic granular fertilizer to ensure amble blooms.
• Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more flowers.

Companion Flowers/Crops

• Zinnias grow well with other brightly colored flowers. We love to grow them in front of our sunflowers, hollyhocks, and other tall blooming flowers. Shop all our flowers here. We also plant zinnia among squash and pumpkin to help bring pollinators to the garden.
• Do you LOVE zinnias? Try all our varieties including: Cactus Mix Zinnia, California Mix Zinnia, and Dahlia Mix Zinnia, Envy Zinnia, and Ice Queen Zinnia.

Additional Learning Resources

• New to starting crops from seeds? Please watch our Seed Starting Presentation to learn the basics!
• Learn about growing all our crops on our YouTube page!
• Having pest issues? Check out in-depth information for pests that can be an issue to zinnias at the UC Integrated Pest Management site.