I was starting to think that ‘Zahara Starlight Rose’ zinnias didn’t like me much because often the “stars” would fade or they would be complete no-shows when the flowers bloomed. In my mom’s garden the flowers always had the pretty rose star (same batch of seeds), so I’ve continued to sprout a few each year just for her. This past summer I tried them again, and this time they all behaved beautifully:
I don’t use a lot of white flowers in my flowerbeds (I’d rather have bold colors), but when I can find a white flower with some additional pizzazz like freckles or stippling or some color in the center of the flower I’m much more likely to use it.
Zahara zinnias are wonderful plants to grow. They are pest-resistant, disease-resistant and will keep blooming all summer into fall with little attention. In fact, even if you decide you don’t want to deadhead the spent blossoms, the plants will continue to send up new flowers. There are many colors to choose from in the series with both single and double blooms.
‘Zahara Starlight Rose’ grows 12 to 18 inches tall. I like to plant this cultivar next to dark-pink annuals like zinnias or cosmos or nicotianas to draw out that beautiful eye.