One of the most cheerful flowers you can grow in your garden or add to a bouquet is the zinnia. They always seem so perky and lively that they’re great mood boosters!
So, what else do zinnia flowers mean and symbolize? For starters, zinnias have always been used to convey friendship and deep affection. With their show-stopping colors and easy demeanor, these vibrant blooms are fun-loving and full of life.
Read ahead to learn more.
Zinnia Flower Meaning
There are many known meanings associated with zinnia flowers. Yet, the one it’s best known for is friendship.
One meaning that dates back to Victorian times is that zinnias are like friends you haven’t seen in some time. So, in the language of flowers, zinnias represent thoughts of everlasting affection, remembrance, and even nostalgia.
Another meaning typically linked to zinnia flowers is endurance, determination, and tenacity. It refers to the plant’s ability to grow and thrive even in the harshest weather conditions.
Take a look at some of the most common zinnia colors and their meanings.
Red Zinnias
Red zinnias are associated with passion, enduring love, and loyalty. They also represent the deep, unwavering sentiments reflected in our relationships with family and loved ones.
Another symbol of red zinnias is acclaim. They’re seen as a great way to honor someone’s achievements and celebrate their progress.
In color psychology, red is linked to the areas of your life that make you feel safe and secure. Thus, red zinnias symbolize eternal affection and love.
Magenta Zinnias
Similar to their red counterparts, magenta zinnias represent lasting emotions and a sense of tireless affection. They can be used to pay tribute and pay respects to those who have passed.
Moreover, pink, or magenta, flowers represent grace and happiness. They’re used to invoke feelings of youth, romance, and sentiment.
Not only that, but florists often use them to convey the message of a life-long friendship or a deep connection you have with someone. They’re usually given to close family members and friends as a token of your adoration.
Yellow Zinnias
Yellow zinnias help convey the message of reminiscence. They represent your thoughts of an absent friend or loved one.
They’re also an ideal color for spreading joy and cheer. Studies show that yellow increases the positive energy of a room and helps lighten the mood.
The color yellow is also the color of the sun, so yellow zinnias are often associated with warmth and joy.
Orange Zinnias
On the color spectrum, orange represents vitality, wellness, and prosperity. This means that orange zinnias symbolize well-being and long-term health.
You can also give a bouquet of orange zinnias to a sick friend or co-worker. They’ll convey the message of wishing them a speedy recovery and a lifetime of good health.
If you’re thinking of growing zinnias, then make sure to include some orange flowers. They’ll bring a sense of healing and positive energy into your home.
Purple Zinnias
Purple zinnias represent royalty, honoring the divine, and a higher sense of exaltation. They’re also sometimes used to symbolize deep, passionate love that can stand the test of time.
A purple zinnia flower is known for its ability to make you feel calm and at ease. Moreover, purple zinnias invoke feelings of harmony and peace when added to a floral arrangement or placed in a vase.
They can also be associated with dignity, success, and pride. The color purple is often used for its ethereal qualities to bring in a sense of elegance and refinement to the room.
Green Zinnias
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the color green? Leprechauns? Christmas trees? Money?
They’re all correct, which is why green zinnias represent nature, renewal, and growth. They’re great to give to someone who has just graduated, is building their own start-up, or starting a new chapter in their personal lives.
In addition, green is often used to convey financial stability and wealth.
White Zinnias
White is a soft, gentle color that can be used to symbolize lots of different things. However, it’s mainly known to evoke a sense of youthful innocence and spiritual enlightenment.
Moreover, the color white is known all over the world as a color of innocence and purity, and white zinnias are no exception. They’re frequently linked to feelings of goodness and modesty.
However, one meaning that seems to be perfect for these delicate flowers is one of beauty, poise, and perseverance.
Blue Zinnias
Blue zinnias are the least common of all the colors, but they still exist. If you spot one, consider yourself blessed because these flowers represent faith and serenity.
The blue color is often associated with loyalty and trust. So, it’s no surprise that blue zinnias are used to convey the message that you deeply value your relationship with that person.
Another meaning behind blue zinnias is aspirations and hope for a brighter future.
The History of the Zinnia Flower
Zinnia plants are native to parts of Central America and Mexico. They were known to the Aztecs as “the plants that are hard on the eyes” because of their vibrant colors.
In the early 1700s, the German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn discovered them on one of his trips to Central America. He took them back to Europe, where they were later named after him.
Then, a couple of decades later, several varieties made their way to the US and were widely cultivated and planted. These varieties include the Pumila Mixed, the Striata, and the Mammoth.
Interestingly enough, in 1920, another variety appeared. It was a mutation of the original zinnia that had occurred due to natural selection. It was discovered and named ‘Giant Dahlia’ by John Bodger from Bodger Seeds Ltd. in California.
Bodger then managed to cultivate a new flat-flowered variety from the ‘Giant Dahlia’ strain, which he called the ‘California Giant.’ Subsequently, he was awarded the gold medal for this variety by the Royal Horticultural Society of England.
Because of their easy-going nature, hardiness, and adaptability, zinnia breeders are always trying to engineer and breed new varieties. In recent years, they were able to cross two strains to produce the ‘Profusion’ series.
These varieties are designed to bring the best of both worlds. They’re colorful, compact, and low-maintenance. Plus, they’re highly resistant to many external factors, including diseases, pests, heat, and humidity.
Zinnia Flower Care and Maintenance
Zinnias are annual plants that are incredibly low-maintenance and easy to grow. In fact, they’re often recommended for beginners and novice gardeners.
They’re hardy and resilient. Even when infected with bugs and diseases, they stay strong and bloom those beautiful, vibrant flowers.
In addition, zinnia plants can grow in any number of weather conditions. Through rain, drought, and humidity, zinnias will continue to produce their colorful blooms without a care in the world.
Finally, the mother plant will die, leaving behind the seeds to start a new growth cycle in the spring.
Gardeners recommend that you grow zinnias from seeds, preferably right in the garden bed. They’re notorious for hating root disturbance or being transplanted.
During their growing season, these colorful beauties can grow anywhere from six inches to nearly four feet tall.
They prefer full sunlight and average watering because they don’t like being in damp, moist soil. Alternatively, zinnias are happier when they’re in sandy, well-draining soil.
Throw in some compost and fertilizer, and your flowers will grow bigger and stronger.
The one thing that zinnias don’t really care for is frost. So, wait until the last frost passes, then start planting the seeds.
The best thing about zinnias is that hummingbirds can’t get enough of their sweet nectar. So, if you’re growing some in your yard, expect some iridescent visitors to pop in every now and then for a juicy treat.
Wrap Up On Zinnia Flower Meaning
Perhaps the most important zinnia flower meaning is that we should keep our grace. Value and respect one another, and pay more attention to the things happening in our daily lives.
They’re also a symbol of everlasting affection, devotion, and respect.
Whether you’re planting them in your garden or offering them in a bouquet, zinnias are a colorful and dynamic way to get your message across.
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