Double Zahara™ Salmon Zinnia

Double Zahara™ Salmon Zinnia Seeds

(Zinnia marylandica — Zahara Series)

Double Zahara Salmon is part of the Zahara series — one of the most significant developments in zinnia breeding of the past two decades. The interspecific hybrids developed at the University of Maryland were given their own species name: Zinnia marylandica. These crosses between Zinnia elegans and Zinnia angustifolia combine the large double blooms of the former with the disease resistance and heat tolerance of the latter — subsequent hybrids including the Zahara series are all identified as Zinnia marylandica and have produced multiple AAS Award winners.

The Zahara series was introduced in 2009 and immediately became famous for its resistance to mildew and leaf spot, its nonstop blooms, and its larger flower size. The Zahara series is the only fully double, disease-resistant zinnia series — the competition produces smaller, semi-double flowers. Award-winning, all-season performance and durability in landscapes and containers, especially in sunny, hot and dry conditions.

The Salmon color in the Double Zahara range is a warm, clear salmon-pink — a color that sits between coral and soft pink with a warmth and freshness that reads well in both garden and container settings. Color can vary under different environmental conditions — cooler temperatures accentuate the rose tones, while as flowers age and under more heat, the lighter salmon tones come through more prominently. This natural color evolution means the planting display changes subtly over the season, the earlier blooms in cooler weather carrying more rose depth and the later blooms in warmer conditions reading as a purer, brighter salmon.
Abundant, fully double salmon-colored blooms average 4–6 cm wide. The plants are highly uniform with a low-growing, mounding habit that flowers continuously, providing weeks of color. Zahara dwarf zinnias were bred for powdery mildew resistance and long-lasting color for landscapes and garden beds.

These plants are reliable, heat and drought tolerant, and never need deadheading — a significant practical advantage over other double zinnia varieties where regular deadheading is required to maintain continuous bloom. The self-cleaning habit of the Zahara series means spent blooms are replaced automatically without intervention, making it one of the most genuinely low-maintenance flowering annuals available from seed.

Variety Details

• Botanical Name: Zinnia marylandica (interspecific hybrid: Z. elegans × Z. angustifolia)
• Series: Zahara Double
• Variety: Double Zahara Salmon
• Seed Type: F1 Hybrid
• Plant Type: Half-hardy annual
• Family: Asteraceae

Key Features

• Only fully double disease-resistant zinnia series — competition produces smaller semi-double flowers
• Interspecific hybrid (Z. elegans × Z. angustifolia) — combines large blooms with disease immunity
• Warm salmon-pink blooms averaging 4–6 cm — color deepens to rose in cool weather
• Self-cleaning habit — no deadheading required for continuous bloom
• Exceptional heat, drought, and powdery mildew resistance
• Compact mounding habit 40–50 cm — ideal for mid-level borders and containers
• Fast germination: 3–7 days at optimal temperature
• Outstanding pollinator value — attracts bees and butterflies continuously
• Leaf spot and mildew resistant where standard zinnias fail

Plant Information

• Height: 40–50 cm
• Spread: 40–50 cm
• Plant Type: Half-hardy annual
• Habit: Compact, mounding, upright
• Flower Size: 4–6 cm across
• Flower Form: Fully double, rounded
• Flower Colour: Salmon-pink — shifts to deeper rose in cool conditions
• Days to Flower: 60–70 days from sowing

Germination Instructions

• Sow into 72-cell flats or preferred seedling container 4 weeks before planting out.
• Cover seeds — darkness aids germination.
• A heat mat will help maintain an accurate temperature.
• Optimal germination temperature is 27–29°C with germination in 3–5 days.
• Lower temperatures result in slower germination: 5–7 days at 21–24°C.
• Keep the growing medium consistently moist but not waterlogged during the germination period. Do not allow plants to become root bound and avoid disturbing roots — transplant shock or other stress events may cause double-flowering varieties to produce single blooms for a period following stress.
• Transplant carefully into final position at 4 weeks, spacing 20–25 cm apart.
• Direct sowing outdoors is also effective — sow 6 mm deep directly into prepared beds.
• For Kuwait: Double Zahara Salmon is one of the most heat-tolerant flowering annuals available and can be sown directly outdoors in October for a November–March cool-season display, or started indoors in September for transplanting in October.
• Unlike most cool-season ornamentals, it does not require cool germination conditions — it germinates best in warmth, making it straightforward to start in Kuwait’s transitional season without refrigeration or air-conditioned facilities.

Growing Tips

• Grow in fertile soil rich in organic matter with a preferred pH of 6.3–6.8. Full sun is essential for best performance.
• Water consistently, keeping soil evenly moist but never waterlogged — always water at soil level, never overhead, as overhead watering promotes fungal issues even in the disease-resistant Zahara series.
• Pinching of the initial bud or bloom and subsequent deadheading is recommended to encourage strong branching and bloom production — although the self-cleaning habit of the Zahara series means deadheading is not mandatory for continuous flowering as it is with standard zinnias.
• Succession sow every 2 weeks for prolonged yields of high-quality stems if growing for cut flower use.
• Space plants 20–25 cm apart to ensure good air circulation around the foliage.
• In Kuwait’s cool season, Double Zahara Salmon will perform exceptionally well — the marylandica heritage gives it heat and disease tolerance far superior to standard Zinnia elegans varieties, and it will continue to flower effectively even as temperatures begin to rise in March and April when other cool-season annuals are already failing.

Gulf Planting Season

• Direct sowing outdoors: October to November
• Indoor sowing for earlier display: September, transplant October
• Peak flowering season: November to March
• Extended season performance: continues into April as temperatures rise
• Note: Double Zahara Salmon is one of the most transitional-season-tolerant ornamentals in this catalogue.
• Its marylandica heritage gives it genuine heat and disease resistance that standard Zinnia elegans lacks — it will continue to perform as temperatures rise in late March and April when most other cool-season annuals have already deteriorated.
• This makes it particularly valuable for Kuwait growers who want continuous colour through the transitional period between the cool season and early summer.
• No refrigeration or special indoor setup is required — sow directly in October and the seeds will germinate readily in Kuwait’s natural autumn warmth.

Garden & Floral Uses

• Double Zahara Salmon makes a sensational display in the garden with its big, round-headed, many-petalled blooms.
• These plants are reliable, heat and drought tolerant, and never need deadheading.
• Not primarily grown for cut flowers, but the abundance of blooms means there will always be plenty to pick for the vase — and new flowers will open quickly to replace them.
• The salmon-pink color combines beautifully with white, cream, soft yellow, and coral in the garden border and in bouquets.
• As a mass planting, the Zahara Double series creates one of the most sustained and low maintenance color displays available from a single sowing in Kuwait’s cool and transitional seasons. In containers, the compact mounding habit fills large pots with a dome of continuous color that requires minimal management.
• Vase life for Zahara zinnias is approximately 7 days, which can be extended with the use of flower preservatives — cut before blooms are completely open when the stem is firm from cut point to just below the bloom.