Florists love the flowers, which appear in abundance, of this easy to grow annual. That’s because they last well in the vase and their rich pinkish purple colouring mixes well with a wide range of other tones. A taller than average cultivar, the blooms are also attractive to pollinators.
How to care for Zinnia elegans Purple Prince:
For early flowers, sow under glass in early spring. Fill a seed tray or pot with good quality compost and space the seeds at 2.5cm intervals and just cover with a sprinkling of compost. Water moderately and when the seedlings are large enough to handle pot on and harden off before planting outside. Alternatively sow thinly outside in a sunny bed after all risk of frost has passed. Thin to 25cm as they grow on. Sowing several batches with a couple of weeks in between each will ensure the flowering period stretches from early summer to the first frosts.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Eventual height:
0.7m
Eventual spread:
0.3m
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil