Growing Sanvitalia (Creeping Zinnia)

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Article: Growing Sanvitalia (Creeping Zinnia)

EllenB
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 858 Posts

March 7, 2006

Botanical Name:

Sanvitalia procumbens

Life Cycle:

annual

Planting Time:

spring

Height:

4" to 16"

Exposure:

full sun

Soil:

loose, well-drained soil; fairly drought tolerant

Hardiness:

n/a

Bloom Time:

mid summer until fall frost

Flower:

yellow and orange

Foliage:

green

Propagation:

seeds

Suggested Use:

beds, borders, baskets, edging, and rock gardens

Growing Hints:

Sow seeds directly outdoors as soon as soil is warm or start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date. The seeds need light to germinate so do not cover them with soil, just press them gently into the surface of the growing mix. Use individual peat pots for easy transplanting in order to avoid disturbing roots. Seedlings should be spaced 14" apart. Grows great in regions with how summers.

Interesting Facts:

The "Creeping Zinnia" nickname comes from the fact that Sanvitalia tend to "creep" along as they grow, and their flowers resemble those of zinnias.

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Questions

Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.

Question: Buying Creeping Zinnia Seeds?

JILL

March 17, 2006

Q: I saw the beautiful picture of the creeping zinnia and I would love them for my garden. The problem is I can't seem to find plants or seeds anywhere on the web. Does anyone know where I can get them?

Hardiness Zone: 5b

JILLSAVES from Shavertown, PA

Jillsaves,

A: If you search the web using the terms "Sanvitalia seeds" or "Sanvitalia procumbens" you'll find a lot more resources then if you try searching for creeping zinnias. Also, in seed catalogs, creeping zinnias are sometimes listed under specialty annuals rather being grouped with traditional cut flower zinnias. Most of the larger seed companies like Burpee and Gurneys sell them.

Prices seem to vary widely so it pays shop around. From the few web sites I checked out, Stokes Seeds (www.stokesseeds.com) offers the convenience of being able to order different quantities of the three most popular varieties, "Yellow Carpet," "Aztec Gold" and "Mandarin Orange." Their prices also seem in line with other seed companies (maybe a bit better).

For cheap or even free seeds, I would recommend searching garden forums or seed exchanges. Most gardeners are more than willing to share their seeds or swap them for something they don't have. It's a great feeling knowing that somewhere out there, seeds from your garden are adding to the beauty of someone else's garden.

Ellen

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out ThriftyFun's Seed Swap. You can find it here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/board_seeds.html