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Zinnia acerosa

Zinnia acerosa (DC.) A. Gray

Desert Zinnia, Dwarf Zinnia, Dwarf White Zinnia, Shrubby Zinnia, Southern Zinnia

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s): Zinnia pumila

USDA Symbol: ziac

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Dwarf zinnia usually grows 4-10 inches tall with numerous branches and many narrow leaves, 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches long. The flower heads have 4-7 white to off-white ray flowers, and yellow disc flowers. The ray flowers are lightly toothed at the tip. The plant has a long blooming period (248).

The genus, Zinnia was named by Linneas in honor of Johann Gottfried Zinn. Zinn was a German anatomist, ophthalmologist, and botanist born in 1727 and died in 1759 (in Germany). He was extraordinary professor of medicine and director of the botanical gardens in the university town of Gottingen. He was one of the first to render an accurate description of the eyeball and he investigated the vessels and nerves of the eye cavity.

From the Image Gallery

9 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Size Notes: Up to about 10 inches tall.
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AZ , NM , TX , UT
Native Habitat: Prairie, Plains, Meadows, Pastures, Savannas

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil pH: Alkaline (pH>7.2)
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Drought Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Rocky

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Deer Resistant: High

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

National Butterfly Center - Mission, TX
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 995 - Native Landscaping from El Paso to L.A. (2000) Wasowski, S. and A. Wasowski
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 3 - Flora of North America (2014) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

From the Archive

Wildflower Newsletter 1995 VOL. 12, NO.3 - Explore the Big Bend With the Wildflower Center, Education Director\'s Report, T...

Additional resources

USDA: Find Zinnia acerosa in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Zinnia acerosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Zinnia acerosa

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-08-11
Research By: TWC Staff

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