Sanvitalia procumbens Creeping Zinnia, Trailing Sanvatalia1
Edward F. Gilman, Teresa Howe2
Introduction
A native of Mexico, creeping zinnia is an annual vine-like plant suited as a ground cover or for use in a hanging basket (Fig. 1). It flowers from spring into the summer in the southeastern part of the country, but may suffer in the heat in the warmest parts of central Florida. It is considered tolerant of heat and drought, an unusual attribute for many other annuals. The cultivar 'Mandarin Orange' was a 1987 All American Selection winner, and was the first orange flowered Sanvatalia.
General Information
Scientific name: Sanvatalia procumbens
Pronunciation: san-vit-TAIL-lee-uh pro-KUM-benz
Common name(s): creeping zinnia, trailing sanvatalia
Family: Compositae
Plant type: annual
Figure 1.
Creeping zinnia
USDA hardiness zones: all zones (Fig. 2)
Planting month for zone 7: Jun; Jul
Figure 2.
Shaded area represents potential planting range.
Planting month for zone 8: May; Jun
Planting month for zone 9: Apr; May
Planting month for zone 10 and 11: Feb; Mar; Nov; Dec
Origin: native to North America
Uses: hanging basket; cascading down a wall; mass planting
Availability: somewhat available, may have to go out of the region to find the plant
Description
Height: .5 to 1 feet
Spread: 2 to 3 feet
Plant habit: round; spreading
Plant density: moderate
Growth rate: moderate
Texture: medium
Foliage
Leaf arrangement: opposite/subopposite
Leaf type: simple
Leaf margin: entire
Leaf shape: ovate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaf type and persistence: not applicable
Leaf blade length: less than 2 inches
Leaf color: green
Fall color: not applicable
Fall characteristic: not applicable
Flower
Flower color: yellow
Flower characteristic: showy
Fruit
Fruit shape: no fruit
Fruit length: no fruit
Fruit cover: no fruit
Fruit color: not applicable
Fruit characteristic: inconspicuous and not showy
Trunk and Branches
Trunk/bark/branches: not applicable
Current year stem/twig color: green
Current year stem/twig thickness: medium
Culture
Light requirement: plant grows in full sun
Soil tolerances: acidic; slightly alkaline; sand; clay; loam
Drought tolerance: high
Soil salt tolerances: unknown
Plant spacing: 6 to 12 inches
Other
Roots: not applicable
Winter interest: not applicable
Outstanding plant: not particularly outstanding
Invasive potential: not known to be invasive
Pest resistance: no serious pests are normally seen on the plant
Use and Management
Plant in the full sun for best flowering.
Pests and Diseases
No pests or diseases are considered important.
Footnotes
This document is FPS535, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date September 1999. Revised August 2007. Reviewed June 2011. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
Edward F. Gilman, professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, Teresa Howe, coordinator - Research Programs/Services, Gulf Coast REC, Bradenton, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.
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