Variety field guide
What to expect from Will Rogers Red Zinnia
Will Rogers Red Zinnia seeds produce red bloom on 25–30 in upright/erect plants. Annual growth and Summer/Fall bloom make it useful for cut flowers, warm-season color, pollinator gardens, borders, and seed saving.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
Will Rogers Red Zinnia seeds produce red bloom on 25–30 in upright/erect plants. Annual growth and Summer/Fall bloom make it useful for cut flowers, warm-season color, pollinator gardens, borders, and seed saving. Will Rogers produces large, double red flowers on strong upright stems, with deep crimson tones that may soften as blooms age.
About Will Rogers Red
Will Rogers Red is an annual zinnia with red color, 25–30 in mature height or spread, and an upright/erect habit. Harvest form or size: Flower or head form characteristic of Will Rogers Red; mature plant 25–30 in. Botanically it is Zinnia elegans. Maturity or first bloom: 70-79 Days; germination: 5-10 Days at 70–85 °F. Best for cut flowers, warm-season color, pollinator gardens, borders, and seed saving. Grown for ornamental or habitat use rather than as a food crop.
History and provenance
Zinnias are native to Mexico and nearby parts of the Americas. Garden breeding transformed relatively simple wild flower forms into broad color ranges, dwarf bedding lines, tall cutting strains, cactus-flowered forms, and striped or bicolored selections. The named cultivar is treated as the maintained seed strain offered under this name; a breeder or release date is not added without a reliable record. A complete public breeder or release record for the named Will Rogers Red strain has not been located. The cultivar name is retained, but no person, community, date, or place of origin is assigned without reliable documentation.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Zinnia elegans |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Annual |
| Maturity / first bloom | 70-79 Days |
| Germination | 5-10 Days at 70–85 °F |
| Seed depth | 1/4 in |
| Plant height / spread | 25–30 in |
| Growth habit | Upright/Erect |
| Spacing | 10 in between plants; 18 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Will Rogers Red from seed
How to grow Will Rogers Red Zinnia
Botanical identity: Zinnia elegans. Life cycle: Annual.
Sow 1/4 in and use a seed-zone temperature near 70–85 °F. Expected emergence: 5-10 Days. Use clean seed-starting conditions, the listed depth and temperature, and steady moisture without saturation.
Plant during Late Spring. Space plants 10 in apart with 18 in between rows or planting bands.
Provide Full sun, moderate water, and loamy near pH 6.0–6.5. Support: No-Support.
Garden performance and care
For a longer display of Will Rogers Red, remove spent blooms unless seed is being saved. Give the plant its listed spacing, cut flowers with clean tools, and leave selected heads to mature fully for seed. Expected emergence is 5-10 Days; the listed maturity or bloom timing is 70-79 Days.
Harvest, bloom, and uses
Will Rogers Red is suited to cut flowers, warm-season color, pollinator gardens, borders, and seed saving. Its red flowers and 25–30 in stature help determine whether it belongs in a border, cutting row, container, meadow edge, or restoration-style planting. Grown for ornamental or habitat use rather than as a food crop.
Saving seed
Save seed from several healthy, true-to-type Will Rogers Red plants identified before harvest. Confirm the pollination system of Zinnia elegans, separate compatible varieties that flower together, and remove clear off-types before they shed pollen or seed. Allow fruit, pods, ears, or seed heads to reach full biological maturity, then clean and dry the seed completely. Label the lot with variety, source, year, isolation method, number of seed plants, and any selection notes; store it cool, dark, and dry and test germination before an important planting.
Common problems
Common concerns: damping-off from saturated media; poor emergence from wrong temperature or depth; leggy seedlings from weak light; crowding and weak airflow; lodging in wind or rain; feeding damage from slugs, caterpillars, beetles, or mammals; foliar disease under prolonged leaf wetness; powdery mildew and bacterial leaf spotting under crowded, wet foliage. Management: use clean media, the sowing depth and temperature, strong light, appropriate thinning, and morning irrigation at soil level. Match support to plant height before wind becomes a problem. Inspect regularly and use the least disruptive control appropriate to the pest, plant, and pollinator setting. Remove diseased debris and rotate annual flower beds where recurring disease is severe.
Frequently asked questions
When is Will Rogers Red ready?
70-79 Days from sowing to the primary bloom or market stage used for the listed maturity range
How long does germination take?
Expect 5-10 Days near 70–85 °F; actual emergence changes with moisture, seed condition, and soil temperature.
How large does it grow?
About 25–30 in with an upright/erect habit. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container?
Possible in a large container, raised bed, or in-ground planting with room for the mature plant
How is it used?
Primary role: Cut flowers, warm-season color, pollinator gardens, borders, and seed saving. Grown for ornamental or habitat use rather than as a food crop.
Can I save seed?
Yes where the crop biology allows, but keep compatible varieties isolated, use several healthy plants, wait for full seed maturity, dry thoroughly, and label the lot.
Minimum Seed Count:85 seeds
