Horticulture Uses for Creeping Zinnias

Deer-Resistant Landscape

• Deer roam suburban and rural areas. They can easily jump over fences 6 feet tall and come to visit under the cloak of darkness. To prevent your landscape from becoming a victim of their browsing, choose deer-resistant plants. Because these critters don’t find creeping zinnias palatable, they're among the right plants for a deer-resistant landscape.

In a Butterfly Garden

• Creeping zinnias are ideal selections for a low maintenance butterfly garden. Their butterfly-attracting flowers bloom in an array of colors from June until frost, and don’t require deadheading for optimal results. Their high tolerance for drought and dry soil means they don’t need much supplemental irrigation, so you won’t spend much time or money on watering. They are not susceptible to insect problems, and exhibit a high resistance to diseases, including powdery mildew.

In Combination With Other Plants

• Mixed containers filled with annuals let you display creeping zinnias in your yard or on your deck. They pair nicely with plants that exhibit an upright habit. Anise-scented sage “Black and Blue” (Salvia guaranitica “Black and Blue”) grows 2 to 5 feet tall and begets contrasting cobalt-blue flowers. The scalloped foliage on regal geranium (Pelargonium x domesticum), which grows 1 to 3 feet tall, makes an aesthetically pleasing combination with creeping zinnia’s narrow, ovate leaves.

Foreground of Compact Conifers

• The foreground areas of a landscape with compact coniferous shrubs make another good place to plant creeping zinnias. Try an oblong bed of these annuals in front of a foundation planting, with flower colors that coordinate with your home’s exterior, such as orange, yellow and white with stone that includes these hues. Edging small groupings of evergreens at the front of your yard with creeping zinnias helps create a focal point. Creeping zinnias also add a dramatic unifying element to shrubs behind retaining walls, as they gently cascade over the sides.