Kimnc7,

Aztec Sunset is an improved strain of the older Persian Carpets. The Aztec Sunset flowers are a little bigger than the Persian Carpets, and their plants a little more uniformly bushy. For more variety, I plan to grow both next year. Thompson & Morgan carry both Persian Carpet and Aztec Sunset in their catalog and, in fact, T&M flower breeders created Aztec Sunset from Persian Carpet over a period of 10 years of re-selection. Aztec Sunset was awarded a Fleuroselect Gold Medal.

I intend to try to cross both of them with "regular" zinnias, as well as cross a few selected specimens with each other. This year, Jackier_Gardener reported that she cross-pollinated Persian Carpet with a white cactus flowered zinnia and I commented that it could create some interesting results.

MM

Thank you MM for the information. I have been following the breeding zinnia discussions but I am a super-newbie (I just completed my first year gardening) and am happy if I am able to keep plants alive at this point :). But I am still curious as to whether or not multiple colors appear on one plant or if the variety comes from planting different seeds. I have a very small garden and would love to have variety on one plant.

Thanks again,
Kim

Kim,

"But I am still curious as to whether or not multiple colors appear on one plant or if the variety comes from planting different seeds. I have a very small garden and would love to have variety on one plant.

The flowers change color a little as they age, but the flowers on a single plant are pretty much all the same color. So you will need to have different plants for different colors.

MM

Thanks again, MM. I was hoping they would vary on one bush but I guess I will have to find some room to grow at least a couple of bushes of them next year.