Hi Karen,

They look like Zinnia Zaharas or Zinnia Profusions to me. They are available in a single strain, a double strain, and a "tall" form (XL for Zaharas and Knee High for Profusions). I don't like to grow short zinnias, so I have not grown them. But they are immune to Powdery Mildew. Some people say they are hybrids and you shouldn't save seeds from them, but I believe they are just of hybrid origin, and the commercial seeds are open pollinated in fields, so that you could save seeds from them and they would "come true".

ZM

Zenman, I thought they are of Profusion and Zahara strains as well. I just have not seen this strain anywhere to say it's this or that plant. And I agree on being hybrids. I was able to save a few seeds from each flower before the weather got nasty. I'm going to plant them next season and see if they do come true or not. I did find a strain called Zinnia x hybrida lilac sold through Mr. Fothergills. However, this nursery would not have bought seeds and greenhoused them. The folks at the nursery had no clue what lima beans for planting were so I highly doubt they would have bought from overseas. It took 3 trips and my hubby going through their seed rack behind the counter and telling them what limas were in order to get those. And it also took 3 years to get to that point. I'm also not sold that these are of the Zinnia x hybrida lilac strain. Yet, lol.

Have you ever seen these colors in dwarf size? They were really quite beautiful. I'm such a zinnia fan. I just can't bare not to plant them (why waste a beautiful seed?) irregardless of hybridization. I like surprises so if they don't come true I'm still good.

Hi Karen,

" Have you ever seen these colors in dwarf size? They were really quite beautiful. I'm such a zinnia fan. "

I am a zinnia fan, too. (I started the "It can be fun to breed your own zinnias" message strings here in Garden Web.) The Profusions and Zaharas have a fairly complete color range. Of course, no blue in zinnias.

Zinnia hybrida is a term coined by some seed companies to refer to zinnias of hybrid origin in general. Most recently I have seen the term used to refer to the Profusions and Zaharas because they are a man-made species that was created by crossing Zinnia elegans (referred to in academic circles as Zinnia violacea -- the wild flower from which Zinnia elegans was selected) with Zinnia angustifolia. Much of the research done to create that new species was done at the University of Maryland, so the official name of the species is Zinnia marylandica, in honor of the university. So the Pinwheels, Profusions, and Zaharas are all members of the species Zinnia marylandica.

I have also seen the term Zinnia hybrida used to refer to the Whirligigs (and their predecessors, the Navajos, Zig Zags, Merry Go Rounds, and Carousels), which were derived from crosses between Zinnia elegans and Zinnia haageana. However, I consider the Whirligigs to be Zinnia violacea (elegans) because of their size and similarity and easy cross-ability. So, to make a long story short, Zinnia hybrida does not refer to a specific lilac strain.

I don't know how much space you have to grow zinnias in, but if the seeds from those blooms you have saved from your neighbor aren't enough, you might consider purchasing some commercial seed packets of Zaharas or Profusions. And "regular" zinnias are available in taller versions for cut flowers and shorter versions for beds and borders.

" The folks at the nursery had no clue what lima beans for planting were... "

That is a bit surprising. If the lima beans you seek aren't available at that nursery, you might try the seed racks at a farm store, a home store, or even Walmart. For a really good selection, you could send for seed catalogs and order from them, or simply purchase seeds online. Most seed companies have an online store, and also let you request catalogs there.

ZM (not associated with any product or vendor mentioned or linked)

Thank you for the information of what the hybrida's actually are. I had just assumed they were a hybrid and therefore would not come true. But, I do appreciate what you taught me tonight.

It was terribly surprising to me that a nursery would have no clue what lima beans were. However, I have been dealing with this idiocy for 4 years now so I really know if I need something, I have to order it as they are the only nursery within 150 miles of us. No co-ops and walmart, well let's just say all you will get from them is green beans and mostly what will grow here prolifically (squash, lettuce, radish, corn). It's horrible to live in a town so small where folks just have no clue then look at you like you're stupid when they don't know something. I've learned to quit asking. It's why I generally come here first if I need to know something.

As far as the zinnias, I love them enough that if I didn't have room, I'd make it. I just happened to love those colors and hoped someone could ID them for me. I think I've really gone as far as I can with that. I am going to plant what little seed I was able to get and see just exactly what happens. Hopefully, they are a profusion or zahara. You've been very helpful and informative. And I do read your breeding posts. You always have something to say that I didn't think of or need to learn. If I ever get the time to breed my own, you can bet you will be the very first person I come to for answers. :) Thank you so much.

Hi Karen,

Some of the canned Butterbeans are huge, so there is quite a variety in the size of Lima beans. I used to like to put catsup on the big butterbeans from cans. They are a light tan color, rather than the light green color of many Lima beans. They also come as bush Lima beans or pole Lima beans.

One source is Lima beans at Burpees.

Apparently there are three different Lima beans at Park Seeds.

Baker Creek has five varieties of Lima beans.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange has a good selection of Lima beans.

There are a lot more Lima bean sources on the Internet.

On the subject of zinnias, it is actually quite easy to pollinate or cross-pollinate zinnias. And you can get some really interesting results by making crosses between your own hybrids.

ZM (not associated with any product or vendor mentioned or linked)

Karen, I agree with all of your comments about ZM; he's the best!

I also want to strongly encourage you to order some seed catalogs from a few different companies. I still prefer having them delivered to my door so that I can have fun browsing through them all winter. Once I've decided what I need, I go online to place my order.

Seed catalogs are extremely educational, too, with lots of important information about each variety.

If you look at several different companies, you'll figure out who has the best seed and shipping prices. My neighbor and I often share an order

That's my $0.02 for ya!