Tips for Growing Queen Lime Zinnias

Zinnia elegans Queeny Series

Queeny is a series of zinnias known for their pale green colors and muted variations.

Formerly known as Queen Lime, this cultivar and other members of the Queeny series provide a subdued color palette that stands out in stark contrast to the bright and saturated hues typically associated with Zinnia elegans.

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These award-winning annuals make excellent cut flowers and their soft colors are excellent for flower arrangements and other bouquets.

In this article you’ll learn what makes the Queeny zinnia series special, how to grow them, and find tips for where you can purchase seeds to grow your own!

Here’s what I’ll cover:

Created by plant breeder Hugo Dittmar in Switzerland, the Queeny series (formerly called Queen) started with a lime green cultivar, and expanded to include other variations in gentle tones that blend perfectly with other muted blooms.

These flowering plants reach 30 to 40 inches tall and have a spread of 12 to 16 inches, making them standouts when used in beds, borders, and cottage gardens, or as companion plants in the vegetable patch.

Cut flower gardeners love this series since the colors blend with other types of flowers so nicely. As cut flowers, they will stay fresh for 14 days in a vase.

Warm season annuals in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 10, Queeny zinnias bloom from early summer until the first frost.

In this article we’ll focus on the specifics of growing Queen Lime zinnias and other cultivars in the series.

How to Grow

Growing cultivars in this series is no different than growing other types of zinnias.

Light

Choose a full sun location – that’s to say, six to eight hours of sunshine per day. In very hot regions, you can provide some afternoon shade using an umbrella or some shade cloth.

Soil

Water

Queeny zinnia flowers require moderate water, if the top inch or two of soil is dry, add some moisture.

You can apply a layer of mulch to help retain moisture which will also suppress weeds.

Water at the soil level, not from overhead as excessive moisture on the foliage can lead to fungal infections.

Temperature

Queeny zinnias thrive in warm summer weather. They are happiest when the temperatures are between 70 and 90°F.

They’ll survive nightly dips into the 40s and 50s, but frost will kill the plants.

Fertilizing

As noted above, Queeny zinnias thrive in organically-rich soil so before you sow or transplant, work in some well-rotted compost.

If you added compost at planting time, there’s no need to fertilize, unless the plants aren’t blooming when they should be.

In this case, you can apply some bone meal which is high in phosphorus to promote flowering.

Down to Earth Bone Meal

You can pick up a box of bloom-boosting Down to Earth Bone Meal from Arbico Organics.

Cultivars to Select

In addition to the original pale green cultivar, there are several other options in the Queeny series to choose from as well.

Queeny Lime

With chartreuse blooms, this one used to be called Queen Lime, and is the cultivar that started the series.

The blooms are two to three inches wide, mostly semi- or fully double, and held on sturdy stems.

Add this one to your list of green flowers – with its pale yellowish green hues, it is excellent for flower arrangements and bouquets.

Queeny Lime

You can find seeds in an assortment of packet sizes available at High Mowing Seeds.

Queeny Lime Blush

Also known as Queen Lime ‘Blotch,’ this one is green with a dusty rose blush.

Flowers are two to three inches wide or more, and mostly double or semi-double with some single blooms.

Queeny Lime ‘Blush’

You can purchase seeds in a variety of packet sizes from Eden Brothers.

Queeny Lime Orange

This cultivar sports apricot colored flowers with pink centers and a faint green blush.

Also referred to as Queen Lime ‘Orange,’ this 2018 All-America Selections winner produces mostly semi-double and double blooms that reach up to three and a half inches wide.

Queeny Lime ‘Orange’

Pick up packets of seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds.

Queeny Lime Red

‘Red’ has deep pink outer petals that fade to lighter shades moving towards the center, and finally a dark pink center surrounded by lime green.

Previously known as Queen Lime ‘Red,’ this 2007 Fleuroselect Novelty Winner produces primarily semi-double to double blooms that are two to three and a half inches wide.

Queeny Lime ‘Red’

Grab a packet of 25 seeds from Botanical Interests.

Maintenance

Queeny zinnias require little maintenance.

If you plan to harvest blooms to use as cut flowers, wait until the stem is stiff rather than floppy, and use a clean pair of garden pruners to snip the stem close to where it branches.

You may want to deadhead the spent flowers to promote further blooming.

Towards the end of the season, let some flowers remain on the stems so that you can collect seeds for sowing next year, and leave some as food for wild birds over winter.

Propagation

To get started, you can either sow seeds directly or start them indoors and transplant the seedlings. We’ll cover both methods as well as provide directions for transplanting.

To sow outdoors:

1. Wait until after the last spring frost to sow Queeny Lime zinnia seeds, or be prepared to provide frost protection such as floating row covers.
2. Prepare the soil the day before by amending it with a shovel full of compost, and water in.
3. Sow a group of three seeds per square foot.
4. Keep the soil evenly moist.
5. After germination, thin to one seedling per planting.
6. Water regularly for the first few weeks in absence of rain, keeping the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged.

You can expect the first blooms to appear 70 to 90 days after sowing.

1. Fill the tray or pots with moist seed-starting medium, leaving half an inch at the top of the pot to allow for watering.
2. Sow one seed in the center of each pot or tray cell, a quarter of an inch deep.
3. Place the trays or pots in a location with bright sun. Keep the growing medium warm, in a range of 70 to 85°F, using a heat mat if necessary.
4. Keep the growing medium evenly moist but not waterlogged. Germination should take three to 10 days.
5. Continue to keep the medium moist, and provide the seedlings with six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day, or the equivalent from a grow light.

Transplant into the garden after all risk of frost has passed after hardening off.

Transplanting

To transplant seedlings you’ve grown yourself or starts you’ve purchased from the garden center:

1. Water the planting area ahead of time, preferably the day before, and plan to transplant at the end of the day or on a cloudy day to avoid harsh sunshine.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide and twice as deep as the nursery pot.
3. Remove the root ball from the nursery pot and place the root ball in the hole without covering the stem.
4. Fill in the hole with soil, pat it down gently, then water in.

Keep the soil moist but not soggy for the next week or so while the plants become established.

Pests and Disease

It’s quite possible you’ll grow your Queeny Lime zinnias without having to worry about pests or diseases.

Rabbits and deer tend to leave them alone unless there’s nothing else on offer.

Pests

If the plants are looking sickly or chewed up, check for aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies which you can dispatch with a strong spray of water from the hose.

Try not to resort to insecticides as these will harm beneficial insects as well as pests.

Disease

Alternaria leaf spot is a fungal infection that causes discolored foliage and powdery mildew is common but rarely fatal.

The Reigning Queen of the Annual Bed

Do Queeny Lime zinnias and other colors rule your heart with their eye-pleasing, colorful flowers? You’re not alone!

Now that you’re a pro at Queeny zinnia cultivation, which type are you going to grow?

Let us know in the comments section below, and if you have any further questions, drop them there as well!

Looking for more tips about growing zinnias? We have more reading for you right here:

• What Are the Different Types of Zinnia Flowers?
• How to Grow Zinnias in Containers
• 15 of the Best Zinnia Varieties to Grow in the Garden