Hybridizers: It can be fun to breed your own zinnias - Part 5, 2 by Zen_Man

Zen_Man wrote:
Hi again, Brenda,

That orange bloom with a pink center is quite significant. That contrast in color is a bit unusual, and worthy of consideration when evaluating a zinnia. The center of a zinnia is kind of a forgotten flower part, and it is an important part that we breeders of our zinnias should take notice of when we are picking which zinnias to use as breeders.

The first picture shows that the center can have a striking contrast in the composition of a zinnia bloom, especially when there are unusual bicolor petals. The second picture shows that a large sized center can be significant. The third picture shows that a hidden center can cause a whole new look in a zinnia bloom. The fourth picture shows that a white center looks "right" in a white zinnia (and is attractive to a nine-spotted cucumber beetle). The fifth picture shows that when the color of the center matches the base color of bicolored petals, the effect unifies the whole central region of the bloom.

I could go on with this theme of the various roles of the center in a zinnia bloom, but I think that zinnia DNA has many hidden surprises that we haven't seen yet, regarding what zinnia centers can do. It is good that you called attention to zinnia centers.

ZM