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Creeping Zinnia

Sanvitalia procumbens (san-vi-TAY-lee-uh pro-KUM-benz)

Family: Asteraceae Unknown Groundcover (<1 ft)

Creeping Zinnia is a low growing annual plant that spreads by its stems to form a mat that will grow to a height of 6", and width of up to 18". Its flowers are showy, 3/4" in diameter of sunflowers looking blooms. The yellow to yellow-orange flowers have a center disk of a dark purple-brown. It has a long bloom period, summer to the first frost. Creeping Zinnia get its common name from it leaves, which resemble the leaves of a zinnia. Its natural habitat includes rocky, dry hills. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Does not transplant well. Sow seed directly into its intended garden or container.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 32 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual; Ground Cover
Life cycle
Annual
USDA zones
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 3 in. - 0 ft. 6 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 8 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Hairs present
No
Flower color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow; Orange; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Radial
Flower detail
Yellow-orange ray flowers and brown-purple central disk flowers form showy heads that resemble sunflowers and bloom from early summer to frost.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Mexico, Guatemala
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio; Slope/Bank; Walkways
Landscape theme
Drought Tolerant Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Border; Mass Planting
Garden tags
#low maintenance #drought tolerant #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs
Problems & Resistance
Disease problems
Southern Blight of Herbaceous Ornamentals
Resistant to
Drought; Dry Soil
Propagation
Seed

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.