I’m always on the lookout for new annual cultivars. This year I’m particularly excited about Zahara zinnias. I photographed some of them at the AAS test garden at Boerner Botanical garden in 2008. It was late in the summer, but the plants still looked very hearty and healthy.
Zahara zinnias grow 12 to 18 inches tall which means they will help solve the height problem I’ve been battling for years—the lack of annuals in the 12 to 18-inch range. There are plenty of choices from 6 to 12 inches, and even more from 18 inches all the way up to 5 feet, but that middle zone is a veritable black hole (unless you are obsessed with marigolds).
I plan to grow the 2010 AAS winner ‘Zahara Rose Starlight’ as well as ‘Zahara Scarlet’:
I’m glad I photographed ‘Zahara Coral Rose’ in person because the photos in the seed catalogs are rather washed out, and I probably would’ve taken a pass on that one had I not seen it with my own eyes:
The one I did skip for now is ‘Zahara Yellow’. The plants I saw at Boerner were robust, but the flowers are a very pale yellow and I like brighter colors. ‘Butter’ would’ve been a better name. You can also purchase seeds for ‘Zahara White’, ‘Zahara Fire’ and a mixture.
Zahara zinnias are resistant to powdery mildew and leaf spot and thrive in hot, dry conditions. If they sprout well from seed for me, they could very well become my new favorite zinnia series.