Plants
Creeping Zinnia
Sanvitalia procumbens · Asteraceae
Creeping zinnia looks like a miniature sunflower in trailing form: countless small yellow blooms with dark centres on a flat, dense cushion. It is one of the easiest summer flowers of all and blooms from June until frost without any deadheading. For box edges, hanging baskets and sunny bed borders there is hardly anything more reliable.
- Light
- Full sun; in shade the plant goes bare and barely flowers.
- Watering
- Low to moderate — better once too dry than permanently wet.
- Care level
- Easy
- Botanical
- Sanvitalia procumbens
The German name Husarenknöpfchen refers to the small button-like blooms, said to resemble the ornamental buttons of old hussar uniforms. Despite its English name, creeping zinnia is botanically not a true zinnia, though it belongs to the same daisy family.
Modern varieties such as Aztekengold, Million Suns or the Sunbini series are more compact and even more floriferous than the pure species. Some newer breeds carry orange or double flowers, but the classic yellow with a brown centre remains the most popular.
At only ten to twenty centimetres tall, with a creeping to slightly trailing habit, creeping zinnia is a born gap-filler. It edges window boxes, never climbs over its neighbours and forms closed yellow carpets along bed borders.
In combinations it works much like bidens: as a warm connecting element between larger blooms. It looks especially good with blue and violet partners such as fan flowers, or with white geraniums, where the dark flower centres heighten the contrast.
The typical mistake is a spot that is too wet and too rich. Creeping zinnia flowers most densely on lean, free-draining soil in full sun; overfed and overwatered, it produces lots of leaf and little flower. Thanks to its origins it shrugs off short dry spells without complaint.
Is Creeping Zinnia toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Non-toxic
- Dogs
- Non-toxic
Creeping zinnia is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs and children. It can safely be planted at ground level where pets and toddlers pass by.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Plant in full sun — sunshine is the biggest flowering factor.
- 02Water sparingly, letting the soil dry out in between; avoid waterlogging.
- 03Feed only moderately, roughly every two weeks at low dose — too much nitrogen promotes leaf over flower.
- 04No deadheading needed, the plant is self-cleaning.
- 05Plant out only after the last late frosts in mid-May, creeping zinnia is frost-tender.
- 06Use a free-draining substrate in boxes, ideally mixed with a little sand.
Frequently asked
- Is creeping zinnia annual or perennial?
- In its homeland Sanvitalia is a short-lived perennial; here it is grown as an annual because of its frost sensitivity. In return it flowers so richly in one season that replanting each year is genuinely worth it.
- Why is my creeping zinnia not flowering?
- It is almost always too little sun or too much feed. The plant needs a full-sun position and rather lean soil. In shade, or fed heavily with nitrogen, it grows lush foliage but hardly any buds.
- Is creeping zinnia bee-friendly?
- Yes, very. The simple open daisy flowers offer bees, wild bees and hoverflies easily accessible nectar and pollen — for months on end. Only the double varieties are of less value to insects.
- How far apart should creeping zinnia be planted?
- A spacing of about 20 to 25 centimetres is enough; the cushions then close into a carpet over the summer. In a window box we allow four to five plants per metre along the edge.