Agave Zinnias: My Experience with A Must-Grow Zinnia Variety 

Beautiful orange/peach colored Agave Zinnia with cactus style petals.

    If you’re looking for one of the best zinnia varieties for cut flowers, let me introduce you to Agave Zinnias. They’ve quickly become one of my favorites this year, and they might become one of yours, too. In the video below, I talk about my Agave Zinnia patch and how they have performed for me!

    I did a fairly large zinnia seed grow out this year, as well as several other cut flowers. This is one of the varieties that I was excited for; but it wasn't my top pick. However, zinnias have a habit of surprising me, I've found. The Agave zinnia was no exception. 

Why Grow Agave Zinnias?

    Agave Zinnias are part of the cactus-style zinnia family, known for their large, show-stopping blooms. This season, mine produced brilliant shades of orange, yellow, and pink. The orange blooms in particular sealed the deal for me—I’ve officially fallen in love with these beauties. I wasn't sure how I felt about the fact that they were cactus zinnias, but they add so much texture to bouquets- they add some frill, and excitement! 

    The flowers are impressively large, too. Early in the season, they were even bigger than they have been over the hotter days. More blooms appeared as expected, but overall, the size decreased. Even so, every flower has been striking, whether small or large. As the cooler nights have settled in, I've noticed the blooms becoming a bit larger again. It seems to be linked to the hotter days we've had, and very possibly, the drought conditions we had during August. However, the blooms had already decreased in size long before drought-like conditions occurred. It's worth noting that I pinched the zinnia blooms earlier in the season, so that may have led to the profusion of large blooms that I had at first. 

Light pink & yellow Agave Zinnia. There are some Oklahoma Pink zinnias to the right, and another shade of Agave to the bottom left & bottom right. 

Unique Colors: Sunset, Peach, and Pink (Ombre) Tones

    One of the best parts about growing Agave Zinnias is the range of colors. I’ve had blooms that look like a soft peachy-pink sunset, and others that are a fiery rich orange. Some are dual toned, somewhat ombre! 

    While the colors sometimes look more orange on camera in the video, in person they are softer, pinker in color. Even older blooms stay attractive with their multi-layered, blended shades!

Vibrant pink cactus zinnia with yellow hues in the center. This is an older Agave bloom.

Growing Tips for Agave Zinnias

• Staking: These zinnias produce nice long stems, making them great for bouquets. But they do have a tendency to flop, so staking helps keep them upright. I knew I'd probably need to stake them, but I never made it to that task.

• Heat Tolerance: Like many of my other zinnia varieties, they slowed down during the peak summer heat, but they bounced back as temperatures eased. Across the board, blooms were less than fantastic until the nighttime lows eased. They have all started to bounce back, along with my cosmos.  If you're growing these for a wedding, you might need to consider shade cloth or a cooler garden bed. 

• Prolific Blooms: Once established, Agave Zinnias are reliable bloomers that just keep going. I was surprised with just how prolific they are!

    I’ve been cutting mine for simple home bouquets, and they’ve held up beautifully. If you’re growing zinnias specifically for arrangements, Agave Zinnias should definitely be on your list.

Peachy, sunset colored dual toned cactus zinnia.

Saving Seeds from Agave Zinnias

    One of my favorite parts of growing zinnias is saving seeds for next season. I've got mesh bags over a handful of blooms, so that I can save isolated, hand-pollinated seed. This way, my Agave Zinnias will come back true next year.

    I’m also collecting open-pollinated seed from my Agave Zinnias this year, so that I can grow out some cross-pollinated zinnia plants next year. Since I have Oklahoma Pink and Envy zinnias growing nearby, I’m excited to see what new variations come out of the open-pollinated seeds.

    If you’re new to seed saving, the process is simple: wait until the flower heads dry and brown, collect the seeds, and store them in a cool, dry place. If you're worried about the wet weather like I am sometimes, you can also harvest the seeds while the flower still has color; the seeds should be dark green and stiff. Once you remove the chaff & petals, you'll lay those seeds out to dry for a week or two. With zinnias, you’ll always have a fresh supply for the next growing season.

Golden yellow bloom, one of the smaller ones from the warmer days. This flower isn't as impressive, but it is one of the shades that popped up! 

Final Thoughts: Will Agaves Be Grown Next Year?

    I’ll definitely be planting more of this variety next year! They not only met my expectations- they also surprised and amazed me. They'll likely have a spot in my garden for years to come!

    If you’ve been searching for a zinnia variety that combines large, colorful blooms, long stems for cut flowers, and frilly cactus-style petals, Agave Zinnias are a winner in my book. They’re bold, beautiful, and guaranteed to bring vibrant colors into your cut flower beds. 

    Have you tried growing Agave Zinnias yet? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear how they’ve done in your garden! 🌸

Agave Zinnia review from my flower patch.