My experience has been much the same. Profusions seem to stay true to the type in both color, size, and vigor. Other zins generally don't resemble the parent plant at all. I had beautiful Dreamland coral zins a few years ago- big double coral blossoms on plants under a foot tall
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Their harvested seeds produced everything from butt-ugly orange things a few inches tall, to pink single types
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to tall reddish ones, seen in the back here
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Now I only use saved OP profusions, would prefer to buy fresh commercial ones and have a better chance of getting what I want.

Karen

There is a post here on GW somewhere about "you can breed your own zinnias too" or something like that. It seems it is easy to change the plant by polinating them. I have tons of bees so I wonder how my saved ones will look. I bet some cross polination will happen for me.

I planted mine in July and they are budding now...
I did buy a bunch of seed packs when walgreens had them on clearance...
Karen

Any time you save seeds from a hybrid you take the chance of having plants that resemble any of the parents or even ancestors further back in time. Hybrid seeds are always chancy when you plant them. Only Open pollinated types will come true. That's why people pay money for the seeds and hybrid seeds are usually more expensive.
Joann

Does anyone know off-hand which types are hybrids and which aren't. I have tons of zinnia seeds and would love to know which are which. I've checked the web, but it seems there's some unreliable info out there as even the profusion series was labeled as hybrid in a few links.

Laura

I had much the same experience. I started with saved seeds two years ago and the profusion continue to be the same and beautiful. The other types (striped etc.) have got smaller each year and I have ended up with mostly shades of pink and cream. I have been disappointed in a white one whose seeds I bought this year. I find they are also small. Perhaps they were cheap seeds, can't remember. This year I plan to try something called 'Red Cap Zinnia' that was mentioned and pictured here on this forum.

So I have lots of company in thinking that, for zinnias, commercial seed may be the way to go. But even "those guys" still have to get seed from a plant like the rest of us! I wonder what they do to get perfect genetic matches from one season to the next - maybe hand pollenating? Or grown in very controlled greenhouses? Anyone have a good link to info on how commercial seeds are "grown"? I'm interested.

Along with the Profusion series, I've also had good luck with Benary's Giants (but they're mixed colors anyway, so that might not be the best example) and Purple Prince which has come true for three seasons now. I planted T&M's Pulcino Mix this year. I'm curious to see what they'll look like next year.

I'm interested too to find out more about this!

If you want OP Open Pollinated types of Zinnia you can buy your seeds initially from someone like Baker Creek Heirlooms...They only sell open pollinated types of plants. Here is a link to their zinnias..they carry about 12 types. Mostly if you google a zinnia type it will say if it is a hybrid. Anyway once you get Open Pollinated seeds like from Baker Creek then you can save your own seeds and they should come true!

Here is a link that might be useful: Baker Creek Heirloom Zinnias

Here is a link to GWs breeding Zinnia forum: It can be fun to breed your own zinnias .

Dollar Store zinnia seeds are all OPs.

Thanks Albert that was the thread I meant.

Karen

YEAH my zinna I sowed in July Bloomed.

Thanks Nancy! You gave me such good advice and good seeds!

I have some pretty ones. I will save seed and see what happens.

Karen

Yes,do..we'll see. I know some of what I sent to you were commercial seed, not (saved)trade seed. Do you remember which was which? Try to evaluate to see any difference and report back to us.........

We are learning all the time us WSer's!!!
Nancy

I wish I did know which was which. I think so far all comercial. most are pink so far.

I can take pics when they all bloom

Karen

I like the tall colorful types of Zinnias, like Cut & Come Again, California Giants, and State Fair. This year I'm growing State Fair and they are beautiful. Does anyone know if these are generally open-pollinated and come true to seed?

I am not a big fan of the poofy pom-pom type Zinnias, and prefer the singles and semi-doubles. This is because it makes the nectar tubes readily available to pollinators. The bees, hummers, and butterflies love them.

Last year, I had some that were either Elegans or Magellans (they were between the height of the two), that didn't have florets, only really big centers...They looked like Blow-pops!
It was interesting, but not what I was wanting for that spot.
So I think I'll always purchase seed every year for them.

Linda

Terrene...I looked up the State Fair Zinnia and one place that was selling seeds for it was the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. They listed themselves on the home page as a Heritage Seed Exchange using only Open Pollinated seeds so I am guessing then that State Fair is open pollinated.
Joann

Hi everyone,

Wow!!! Houzz listed this as a "related" discussion, and I suppose it is, but it is 15 years old!

That's old for a kid, much less an online discussion. Oddly, I am growing a few State Fair zinnias indoors in my apartment (we moved away from a farmhouse that had abundant outdoor gardening space, but the owner wanted to fix it up and sell it--we were just renters) I am "sort of" continuing my zinnia breeding hobby here. Over the years I have gotten some really unusual zinnias by repetitive cross pollination. I will insert a photo of one here. As always, you can click on a photo in Houzz to see a larger version, and you can close that by clicking on the X in the upper right-hand corner.

ZM