Growing Guide
 
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Sanvitalia

Annual Flower, Ground Cover

Also known as Creeping Zinnia, Trailing Sanvitalia
Sanvitalia procumbens
Asteraceae Family

Sunflower fans will love this short, creeping groundcover. It's covered with golden-yellow, dark-brown-centered flowers that look just like miniature sunflowers! Wonderful in windowboxes or other containers where they can hang over the sides.

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Site Characteristics
Sunlight:
  • full sun

Soil conditions:

  • tolerates droughty soil
  • requires well-drained soil
  • tolerates low fertility

Special locations:

  • outdoor containers
Plant Traits

Lifecycle: annual

Ease-of-care: moderately difficult

Height: 0.5 to 1 feet

Spread: 0.66 to 2.5 feet

Bloom time:

  • early summer
  • mid-summer
  • late summer
  • early fall
  • mid-fall

Flower color:

  • orange
  • yellow

Daisy-like flowers are golden/orange-yellow with dark brown centers.

Foliage color: medium green

Foliage texture: medium

Shape: spreading mass

Shape in flower: same as above

Special Considerations
Special characteristics:
  • non-aggressive
  • non-invasive
  • native to North America - Southwestern United States and Mexico.
Special uses:
  • direct-seeding
Growing Information
How to plant:

Propagate by seed - Sow seeds outdoors where desired after frost danger has passed, or indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last spring frost. The plants do not transplant well, so outdoor sowing is recommended. Do not cover the seeds, as they need light for germination.

Germination temperature: 70 F

Days to emergence: 10 to 14

Maintenance and care:
Do not overwater.

More growing information: How to Grow Annuals

Varieties
‘Sprite’ series: semi-double flowers in shades of orange and yellow with dark brown centers on 10” to 1’ tall plants.

‘Gold Braid’: profuse bloomer with golden yellow flowers with dark brown centers.

‘Irish Eyes’: orange-yellow flowers with green centers are striking on 6” tall plants.

‘Mandarin Orange’: double flowers are rich orange with dark brown centers. The flowers look like miniature sunflowers.