Benary's Giant Zinnia

Benary's Giant Zinnia (Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant')

Benary's Giant Zinnia is the kind of summer annual that turns a sunny bed into steady color you can count on. Big, fully double blooms rise on strong stems, so the flowers look great in the garden and hold up well in a vase. This is an easy way to add bold, cheerful impact for months, especially when you want a cut-and-come-again flower that keeps producing. Plant it once the weather is warm, and it will reward you with waves of blooms through the heart of the season.

Distinctive Features

This selection is known for large, dahlia-like, fully double flowers in a wide range of bright colors on long, sturdy stems. Plants are upright and branching, creating a full, productive habit that keeps sending up new blooms with regular picking or deadheading. Like most zinnias, it thrives in heat and sun, and it is a favorite for pollinators in summer gardens. Good spacing and airflow help the foliage stay cleaner and keep the display looking fresh.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun for best flowering and sturdy growth.
• Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil, improved with compost for best performance.
• Water: Moderate, water at the base and let the top of the soil dry slightly between waterings once established.
• USDA Zones: Grown as an annual in Zones 2 to 11.
• Mature Size: Typically 3 to 4 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide.
• Habit: Upright and branching with strong stems.
• Flower Color: A broad mix of vibrant colors depending on the selection or mix planted.
• Bloom Season: Summer through frost with regular deadheading.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Use it as a focal point in a sunny bed where tall stems and big blooms can carry the view from a distance.
• Cut Flower Garden: Plant in rows for armloads of long-stemmed blooms that keep coming after each harvest.
• Back of Borders: Place behind lower annuals and perennials to add height and strong summer color.
• Pollinator Planting: Use in sunny beds to draw butterflies and other pollinators through peak summer.
• Mass Planting: Group in drifts for a bold, high-impact color block that reads clean and intentional.

Low Maintenance Care

• Deadheading: Remove spent blooms or cut flowers regularly to keep plants flowering heavily.
• Watering: Water deeply during dry stretches and avoid wetting foliage to reduce disease pressure.
• Spacing: Space plants to promote airflow, which helps reduce issues like powdery mildew.
• Fertilizing: Use compost or a light, balanced feeding if growth is weak, since excess nitrogen can reduce flowering.
• Staking: Stake in windy sites or rich soils if stems get tall and top-heavy.

Why Choose Benary's Giant Zinnia?

• Big Blooms: Fully double flowers deliver bold, showy color that stands out in the landscape.
• Cut Flower Quality: Long stems and strong holding power make it a reliable choice for bouquets.
• Long Season: Continuous blooming keeps the garden colorful for months with simple upkeep.
• Heat Lover: Thrives in hot summer weather when many flowers slow down.
• Easy Impact: Grows quickly from seed and fills sunny spaces with dependable performance.

Give Benary's Giant Zinnia sun, warmth, and good drainage, and it will do the rest with steady, high-impact flowers. Keep harvesting or deadheading, and the plants stay productive instead of fading after the first flush. For the cleanest look, focus on spacing and watering at the base, and you will get a long season of garden color plus plenty of stems for cutting.