| Description |
Zinnia is a genus of plants of the sunflower tribe within the daisy (Asteraceae) family native to the Americas. The largest variety of species occurs in Mexico. Zinnia elegans is the most well-known species. Zinnias have solitary long-stemmed flowers in a variety of bright colors. Flowers can be a single row of petals or a mounded dome. Zinnias are easy to grow and are often planted as ornamentals and for fresh cut flowers. They attract bees and monarch butterflies. They are a great companion plant because they deter cucumber beetles and tomato worms, and attract predatory wasps and hover flies. They also attract hummingbirds, which eat whiteflies before those flies can damage tomatoes, cucumbers and potatoes.
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