Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Group/Class:  Benary's Giant Series

Brand:  Benary

Description:

A fan favorite for cut flower arrangements, this vigorous, long blooming series is ideal for garden beds and containers; large, 6" fully doubled blooms in bright, vibrant colors are supported by long, sturdy stems; drought tolerant and disease resistant

Ornamental Features

Benary's Giant Lilac Zinnia features bold lilac purple ball-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems from late spring to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its pointy leaves remain green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Benary's Giant Lilac Zinnia is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Benary's Giant Lilac Zinnia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Benary's Giant Lilac Zinnia will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 12 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Benary's Giant Lilac Zinnia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.