Viewing comments posted by ZenMan

The Zig Zag cultivar of zinnias was contemporary with Merry-Go-Rounds and Carousels. They were sold by the Canadian seed company, Veseys. I purchased a fairly large supply of Zig Zag zinnia seeds from them and it lasted me for several years, apparently well after the variety was discontinued.

After we moved here to Kansas I planted an entire garden to my remaining Zig Zag seeds, and it was an enlightening experience. Apparently the breeder inter-planted several different varieties of zinnias, including the bicolor types and conventional dahlia flowered types, with the idea that the bees would do the crossing. The bees did produce some bicolor dahlia flowered specimens, but there were many off-type specimens that the bees failed with. A high percentage of off-types may have contributed to the failure of the Zig Zags in the marketplace.

Still, I don't regret my "adventure" with the Zig Zags, because I did get some good bi-colored dahlia flowered zinnias from them, and a useful tubular flowered mutant, and the idea that I could "be the bee" and do a much better job of cross-pollinating zinnias than the bees would do. Which led to my fun hobby of breeding my own zinnias. No regrets on the now defunct Zig Zags.

Profusion zinnias are Zinnia marylandica, and not Zinnia peruviana as listed here.