Profusion Double Fire Zinnia Seeds

When we first grew Zinnia Profusion in our trial gardens here at Park several years ago, the "oohs" and "aahs" were deafening. And no wonder—Profusion Cherry (and its sunny sister, Orange) won the AAS Gold Medal Flower Award—the first flowers to receive this prestigious award in a decade. And then both Cherry and White walked off with Europe's Fleuroselect Gold as well. And now there are double-flowered Profusions, with twice the petal power of all others in the family. First came Double Cherry, and now there are Double White and Double Orange in addition to this lovely scarlet-orange.

These bushy plants, 14 to 18 inches high and 20 to 24 inches wide, are simply smothered nonstop all season with cheerful, 2-inch daisy-formed blooms. The petals are rich golden-orange, and they arise in layers surrounding a bold, eye-catching central cone. This landscaping series is designed for large plantings—unlike the cut flower or bedding varieties, Profusion is a dense, bushy, many-flowered little plant that covers ground AND fills the garden with color into the bargain.

Profusion is highly tolerant of powdery mildew (unlike most other Zinnias) and other foliage diseases, and laughs at heat, humidity, and drought. We are proud to give Profusion our highest recommendation for garden-worthiness.

Zinnias are one of the easiest annuals to grow, and attract butterflies to the garden. They are the perfect cut flower—the more you cut, the more you get. They thrive in the sun and heat of summer, and ask only for well-drained soil. Space the plants generously to prevent overcrowding. When cutting the blooms for the vase, trim off all the foliage; unlike the blooms, it does not age well. Direct sow or start ahead indoors.