Zinnia Profusion Double Hot Cherry

The Zinnia 'Profusion Double Hot Cherry', an exceptional hybrid zinnia, is a real remedy for gloominess. It forms a beautiful bouquet of small, very double flowers of intense cherry-pink which won't fade until the first frosts. They bloom from July on vigorous and compact plants, are very resistant to diseases, and perfectly tolerant of summer drought or humid climates. Wonderful in flower beds as well as pots, this hassle-free annual plant is easy to grow in the sun, in well-drained soil.

The Zinnia marylandica 'Profusion Double Hot Cherry' is a remarkable horticultural creation which received the highest reward given to an annual plant by a professional jury in 2014. It is a recent interspecific hybrid, obtained through the artificial cross-breeding of Z. angustifolia var. angustifolia and Z. violacea, belonging to the family of Asteraceae. Both are native to the north and west of Mexico. This Zinnia forms a branched and bushy clump 30 to 40 cm (11.8 - 15.7 in) in height, and 40 to 50 cm (15.7 - 19.7 in) wide. The sturdy stems are adorned with rough and fuzzy, lanceolate to elliptical, medium green leaves. This variety is particularly resistant to fungal diseases, heat, and drought. It enjoys a long flowering period from June-July to November which is nectar- and honey-producing. The flower has a 5 cm (2 in) diameter head, with several rows of ligulate petals, displaying an intermediate shade between dark pink and bright red. The heart of the flower is initially brownish, with a flat conical shape. It becomes golden at maturity, when the tiny flowers of which it is composed are in bloom .

Seeing zinnias grow is always a surprise. Capable of emerging from the ground in highly unlikely places that are often neglected by other plants, their flowers bloom even in gravelly soils and under scorching sun. Their vibrant colours, sometimes on the verge of aggressiveness, blend so well with the brightness of summer light and gravel beaches that they can be left to grow even in the cracks of terraces and paths. Even if they live and die in the same year, you might as well enjoy their ceaseless flowering to its limits. They stand out in rural flower beds and above walls; their ardour can be tempered by pairing them with softer blooms such as white or blue nigellas, cosmos, white gauras, or by placing them among light grasses like Stipa tenuifolia or Eragrostis trichoides. They can of course be placed in pots to decorate the terrace in summer, needing almost no maintenance. Their flowers also hold up very well in bouquets.

Please note that our young plants in mini-plugs are professional products intended for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, transplant and store them under shelter (veranda, greenhouse, frame) at a temperature above 14C° for a few weeks before planting outside once all risk of frost has passed.