Bold and Beautiful

by Elizabeth Winter

Title

Bold and Beautiful

Artist

Elizabeth Winter

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

ome zinnias are more attractive to butterflies than others. I interviewed some gardeners from around the country to find out which varieties worked best for them. Surprisingly, single-flowered, species zinnias aren't the uncontested favorites.

In eastern Washington, where summers are hot and dry, Patti Ensor found Peruvian zinnias to be only moderately attractive to small butterflies, such as skippers. According to Ensor, they don't hold a candle to the large double 'Cut and Come Again'. With its sturdy landing platform, the latter is a major attraction for Western Tiger Swallowtails, who linger to sip nectar. 'Cut and Come Again' blooms from midsummer to frost, in hot shades of pink, yellow, orange, and scarlet.

Minnesota gardener Cathy Leece devotes a sizeable flowerbed to zinnias of many shapes and colors. Last year, Leece planted single-flowered Peruvian zinnias in expectation of fabulous butterfly viewing. "I was surprised at how tall and branched out they got," she says. "They filled half the bed, crowding out the other varieties behind them. And they didn't attract butterflies."

Blue Point Formula Mix and 'Royal Purple' (a Blue Point zinnia from Park Seed) have been the most popular zinnias in Leece's garden. The latter's big purple flowers, in particular, are a magnet for fritillaries, American Painted Ladies, and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails. Moderately attractive zinnias include giant cactus-flowered 'Sunbow Mix' and Z. angustifolia 'Crystal White' (Park Seed's name for 'Star White'). Leece has found that 'Envy' and, Z. haageana 'Persian Carpet' have not attracted visiting butterflies.

The Star series of Z. angustifolia proved to be most popular in Denise Gibbs's Maryland garden. "'Star White' was the best," says Gibbs, "attracting blues, sulphurs, hairstreaks, skippers, Red Admirals, Painted Ladies, and others. It made a beautiful display, cascading over the edge of a planter on my deck. 'Star Gold' was also attractive, but I saw little activity on 'Star Orange'."

Gibbs also grew Z. 'Profusion Orange' and 'Profusion Cherry'. In spite of their single flowers, they did not attract many butterflies. The very similar Pinwheel series, however, attracted a diversity of species well into October.

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September 20th, 2014

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