Hybridizers: It can be fun to breed your own zinnias - Part 2, 1 by Zen_Man

Zen_Man wrote:
Hi all,

Some of my Aztec Sunset zinnias are coming into bloom now, and I am pollinating them with some of my chosen breeders. Both Aztec Sunset and Persian Carpet are cultivars of Z. haageana. Since all of my current zinnias are derived from Z. violacea (also referred to frequently as Z. elegans), if I get any viable seeds from these crosses, they will be interspecific hybrids.

This will be some new territory for me, and I am quite curious whether these interspecific crosses will produce viable seedlings, and what they will look like, and how they can participate in my zinnia breeding project, if at all. Aztec Sunsets are just re-selected Persian Carpets. A picture of my purple and white Aztec Sunset is attached. In past years, I have had Persian Carpets that looked just like this. Since this picture was taken a few days ago, I have "powdered" it with pollen and the stigmas have all withered, which could be a sign that successful crosses have occurred.

ZM