How to Plant and Grow Mexican Zinnias

Zinnia haageana

When I want color that lasts from spring through fall with minimal care, I turn to the letter “Z.” Zinnias, particularly Mexican varieties (Z. haageana), deliver exactly that and more.

Mexican zinnias may not be as well-known as their larger cousins, common zinnias (Z. elegans), but they’re every bit as worthy of a spot in your garden.

With bright, cheerful blooms and an adaptable nature, these flowers are perfect for creating effortless displays.

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Mexican zinnias are more compact in every way: smaller flowers, narrower leaves, and shorter stems. What they lack in size, they make up for in abundance.

These prolific bloomers spread rapidly while remaining remarkably resistant to pests and diseases.

In our guide to growing zinnias, we discuss how to cultivate these popular flowers in your landscape. This guide zeros in on Z. haageana.

Ready to learn more? Let’s dive in!

Native to Mexico, Z. haageana is a warm-season annual that tolerates drought and high temperatures, making it a dependable choice for regions with hot, dry summers.

The species has naturalized in North, Central, and South America, as well as the West Indies, the Mediterranean, and Australia.

Flowers bloom in warm shades of golden yellow, burnt orange, and deep red, often with striking bicolor or patterned petals.

These vivid colors make the species a strong candidate for edging paths, filling container arrangements, or massing in seasonal beds.

The plants are compact and mounding, with narrow, pointed foliage and a uniform, bushy habit.

They reach about 12 to 18 inches tall, making the plants suitable for the front of borders or as a dense ground cover in sunny beds.

Mexican zinnias combine especially well with ornamental grasses and other drought-tolerant annuals, offering contrast in both color and texture.

Enough about what makes this beauty special. Let’s talk about how to enjoy it in your space!

How to Grow

Mexican zinnias are easy to grow and can be cultivated in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 11. They perform especially well in regions with long, hot summers, such as Zones 8 to 10.

If you can nail the light, water, and soil needs of Mexican zinnias, there’s not much more to it.

Light

Mexican zinnias thrive in full sun but will still flower well in partial sun. As long as they receive at least six hours of direct sunlight, you’ll get good results.

With less than six hours exposure, expect reduced flowering or possibly no blooms at all.

Water

If so, go ahead and water. If it feels moist, don’t add any water. You can also use a soil moisture meter.

Mexican zinnias tolerate drought, so if you’re ever uncertain, it’s probably best to skip watering.

Soil

Plant Mexican zinnias in organically-rich soil. They are unfussy about pH, provided it’s between 5.5 and 8.5 – slightly acidic to slightly alkaline.

The easiest way to amend soil that has too much clay or sand is to work in lots of well-rotted compost.

A good compost, whether you make it yourself or buy it at a store, is a miracle worker that will add nutrients while improving both drainage and moisture retention.

Temperature

Mexican zinnias also need really good air circulation. Seriously, don’t plant them too close together and don’t water on the foliage, especially at night.

Crowded, humid conditions will stunt their growth and reduce flowering.

Fertilizer

I always recommend that you test your soil before planting. It’s easy to test once a year and get a general idea of the nutrient levels in your garden soil. That way, you’ll be able to amend according to the results.

If you haven’t tested your soil you can feed your Mexican zinnias with a flower fertilizer starting a month after planting and then again after another two months.

I use AgroThrive Fruit and Flower liquid fertilizer, a mild product with an NPK ratio of 3-3-5.

AgroThrive Fruit and Flower

You can find this product available at Arbico Organics.

Containers

Mexican zinnias are well-suited to growing in containers. Choose a pot with good drainage and a minimum depth of eight inches.

Use a well-draining potting mix, ideally one formulated for annuals or flowering plants.

Place the container in a location that receives full sun, and water when the top inch of soil feels dry.

You can learn more about growing zinnias in containers here.

Cultivars to Select

There are quite a few popular cultivars on the market. The flowers can be single, semi-double, or fully double and they come in a rainbow of colors.

Aztec Series

The Aztec series consists of some very impressive cultivars like ‘Aztec Burgundy,’ ‘Aztec Orange,’ and ‘Aztec Red,’ which were all awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 2017.

The colorful blossoms are up to two inches in diameter and very long lasting.

There’s quite a bit of variation among the flowers in the series. Some are double, some are single, and the height can vary, as well.

‘Aztec Sunset,’ for example, produces double flowers on stalks that are about six inches tall.

Chippendale Daisy

‘Chippendale Daisy’ has single blossoms in sunset-like hues of gold, yellow, and deep orange with a hint of burgundy at the center.

Let it grow and spread for a carpet of color or keep it in containers to add pizzazz to a patio.

‘Chippendale Daisy’

You can find ‘Chippendale Daisy’ seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.

Color Crackle

With large, double, bicolored flowers, ‘Color Crackle’ is an eyeful.

Each petal has a burgundy base with golden yellow or creamy white on the tips, and the entire flower can be up to two inches in diameter, which is huge for this species.

‘Color Crackle’

Plant them en masse and you can enjoy a super impressive cut flower display.

You can find seeds in packets of 50 available at Burpee.

Old Mexico

‘Old Mexico’ offers remarkable variety on a single plant. The flowers may be single, semi-double, or double, and range in size from less than an inch to about two inches across.

Petal coloration varies as well, some blooms are solid yellow or red, but most display a mix, with red at the base and yellow tips in varying patterns.

This cultivar earned an All-America Selections award in 1962 and received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 2017.

‘Old Mexico’

It blooms reliably from spring through frost, bringing lasting color and vibrancy to the garden.

You can find seeds available for this tried-and-true cultivar in a variety of packet sizes at Eden Brothers.

Persian Carpet

A mass of two-inch blooms from ‘Persian Carpet’ creates an eye-catching display.

This cultivar produces both single and double flowers in a mix of red, gold, chocolate brown, burgundy, orange, yellow, and cream.

Each plant is highly floriferous, producing heaps and heaps of stems throughout the season.

‘Persian Carpet’

Bred by Bodger Seeds, ‘Persian Carpet’ received the All-America Selections award in the flower category in 1952, a recognition of its standout garden performance and vibrant color palette.

You can find ‘Persian Carpet’ seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Botanical Interests.

Soleado

Like a million little suns sprinkled on the ground, ‘Soleado’ produces a profusion of bright yellow and orange blooms, each accented with a deep burgundy-brown center.

The flowers nod gently on slender stems that can reach up to two feet in height, creating a dynamic, sunlit effect in the garden.

This cultivar was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 2017.

Sombrero

‘Sombrero’ features tall stems topped with bold, two-inch single blooms in shades of gold, orange, and red.

Petals often show a gradient of color, with rich red near the center fading to golden yellow at the tips.

‘Sombrero’

The height and strong stems make this cultivar an excellent choice for cutting gardens and vase arrangements.

Tip your cap to ‘Sombrero’ and pop over to Eden Brothers to pick up some seeds.

Maintenance

Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage continued blooming. Use your fingernails or a small pair of scissors to snip off blooms as the petals begin to fade or discolor.

When the cool weather arrives and the plants die back, cut them off at the soil level and remove the debris to prevent pests from having a place to hide.

If you’d like to save seeds, allow a few flowers to mature fully on the plant.

Propagation

This is, hands down, one of the easiest flowers I’ve ever propagated from seed. You can also buy seedlings and skip the seed-starting process.

From Seed

It’s super easy to start Mexican zinnias from seed. Since these plants are not at all frost hardy, don’t even think about starting seeds if there’s a chance of a late frost in your region.

That’s why it’s best to start them indoors.

Here’s how:

1. Four weeks before the last predicted frost date, fill a seed tray with water retentive, rich potting medium.
2. Moisten the medium well.
3. Zinnia seeds need light to germinate, so sprinkle the seeds on the surface of the soil and then add up to an eighth of an inch of potting medium on top.
4. Place seeds under a grow light or in a window with at least six hours of direct light.
5. Keep the soil moist and the seeds should germinate in about a week.
6. Thin seedlings to about three inches apart.
7. When they are about four inches tall with several true leaves, harden them off in preparation for transplanting.

You can also sow seed directly outside following the same guidelines as described above – just be absolutely sure that temperatures are reliably above 45°F.

Transplanting

Whether you’ve started your own seedlings or purchased starts from the nursery, here’s how to get them into the ground:

1. Amend the soil in the planting area with some well-rotted compost. Compost improves drainage, adds nutrients, and improves water retention.
2. Dig a hole for each plant that is about twice as wide as the root ball and about the same depth as the container it’s currently growing in. Space them about a foot apart.
3. Remove the seedling from its tray or container. If they’re small, you might need to use a spoon to tease them out.
4. Set the seedling in the hole you made and fill in around the roots with more soil.
5. Firm the soil up around the base of the plant to ensure it sits at the same height as it was in the growing container.

Water the soil well and add more if it settles.

Pests and Disease

Mexican zinnias are rarely troubled by pests or disease, and herbivores tend to leave them alone as well.

You won’t have to defend your flowers from deer at dawn, most critters pass them by in favor of more tempting options.

Pests

Insect pests are rarely a problem. It’s like all the little creepy crawlies would rather feed on just about anything else before they’ll attack Mexican zinnias.

If you do experience a pest infestation, it will likely be aphids or spider mites.

Disease

Unlike some other zinnia species, Z. haageana is resistant to powdery mildew.

If you’ve struggled with this disease on other types of zinnias, this species is a good alternative. It’s extremely rare to see any mildew on healthy, well-spaced plants.

Months of Color Without All the Work

Mexican zinnias might not be as big as their showier cousins, but they make up for it in sheer abundance.

Plus, the cut flowers last an incredibly long time. I’ve had them in a mixed flower bouquet and they will easily outlast blooms like dahlias, foxgloves, and lilies.

A posy of Mexican zinnias is just about one of the most charming things I’ve ever seen.

Are you growing Mexican zinnias? How do you use them in the landscape? Let us know in the comments section below!

And for more information about growing zinnias in your garden, check out these guides next:

• 15 of the Best Zinnia Varieties to Grow in the Garden
• Tips for Growing Queen Lime Zinnias
• What Are the Different Types of Zinnia Flowers?