In this article, we’ll cover if a zinnia plant comes back every year.
Before we start, it’s helpful to take a look at what types of plants come back every year, and what types do not.
Annuals vs. perennials
Plants that do not come back every year are called annuals. This means that they grow for one growing season (typically spring to fall) and then die.
Perennials, on the other hand, do come back every year (assuming the winter was not too harsh for them).
In some cases, a plant can fall under both categories depending on where it’s planted or what variety of the plant is planted. For example, a rosemary plant will grow through the winter in most states, but if grown in northern Maine, it may not survive the winter.
Are zinnias perennials or annuals?
Zinnias are annuals, so they do not come back every year.
Are there perennial zinnias?
Some plants can be either an annual or a perennial, depending on which growing zones they are grown in.
In PA’s growing zone, zinnias are considered annuals.
Will zinnias come back every year?
No, it’s doubtful that zinnias will come back every year. Since zinnias are annuals, they will typically only grow for one season.
Do zinnias re-seed themselves?
Since zinnias is a flowering plant, it’s possible that they will drop seeds or you can collect seeds at the end of the year.
It may be difficult to grow plants from zinnia seeds, but it’s definitely possible that they will sprout some zinnia plants in the spring.
How long do zinnias last?
In PA’s growing zones, zinnias are typically planted outside after Mother’s Day and will grow until the first frost, which usually falls sometime between September 1st through October 31st.