The zinnia, a favorite pass-along annual in Grandma’s garden, is seeing a dramatic comeback.

Zinnias are easy to grow and one of the best ways to bring a carnival of color to any landscape. Few plants have blooms that offer the diversity in size and color or attract butterflies as easily as the zinnia.

Because of this, the National Garden Bureau has proclaimed 2011 the Year of the Zinnia. Recently introduced varieties of this Southern favorite are more versatile and disease-tolerant than their earlier namesakes.

Zinnias have been grown in their native habitat in Mexico since the 16th century. When the Spaniards arrived and first observed them, they were not impressed with the scraggly plants and tiny blooms. They called them “mal de ojos” or sickness of the eye. The seeds were not collected and brought back to Europe until the 18th century.

Dr. Johann Gottfried Zinn for whom the Zinnia is named, first described them in a scientific publication. It took another century for them to be embraced in European gardens — and only after the double-flowering zinnia was discovered on a West Indies plantation.

Imported to America in 1856, their popularity grew only after a mutation was discovered in a field of double flowering “Mammoth” zinnias by John Bodger in the 1920s. Bodger owned a seed company and he developed the mutated seed into the dahlia-flowered strain. The large flat-flowered California Giant came from that strain. It won a gold medal from the Royal Horticultural Society of England and soon became a popular mail order selection with gardeners of the day.

Though there are more than a dozen species of zinnias, members of the Asteraceae or daisy family, only three are seen in home gardens. All are seasonal annuals, meaning they live for one season and must be replanted each year.

Zinnia elegans, the common zinnia, is the species most familiar to gardeners and come in tall, medium and dwarf types with a wide range of colors available.

Zinnia angustifolia, or the narrow leaf zinnia with small single flowers, is growing in popularity. The species has golden-orange flowers but varieties are now on the market with a wider range of colors. The least familiar species is Zinnia haageana, or the Mexican zinnia. Extremely disease-resistant, they generally are small plants with long-stemmed, bi-colored flowers that make excellent cut flowers.

Newer zinnia varieties have met the challenge of modern gardening trends. Mississippi Medallion Winners, Zinnia angustifolia (1998) and Profusion Apricot and Fire Zinnias (2006) are excellent choices for containers or small home gardens.

The Profusion zinnias, a cross between Z. angustifolia and Z. elegans, represent a breakthrough in breeding with the best qualities of each species: heat and humidity tolerance, disease resistance and no deadheading required. A subsequent hybrid of these, the Zahara series: Zahara Starlight Rose, Double Zahara Fire and Double Zahara Cherry, all 2010 All American Selection winners produce slightly larger flowers with the same qualities of the Profusion series.

Zinnias come in an amazing number of colors, but the bi-color patterns are really eye-catching.

Zowie Yellow Flame, a 2006 AAS Winner, flames with a scarlet-rose center and yellow petal edges. It made a real impression on those who saw it on trial several years ago in Crystal Springs.

Queen Red Lime is one of the newest of the bi-colors. The young center petals are lime green with outer petals maturing to a rich mauve edge. This will be the first year that it is available to home gardeners.

Zinnias can be purchased as seeds or as nursery grown plants at local garden centers when the weather becomes warmer. Seeds take eight to 12 weeks from seed to bloom, depending on variety, and can bloom throughout the summer season until frost.

They need good drainage, full sun and occasional watering during the hot dry summer months. Zinnias do best if organic matter is added into soil before planting along with 2 pounds of time-release fertilizer per 100 feet of planting area. Never crowd zinnias or water from above. Good air circulation is important to keep them disease-free and wet leaves might trigger disease. A boost of fertilizer late in the season will help them bloom into fall. Container zinnias need additional liquid fertilizer once a month.

Old Maid was the common name for zinnias in Grandma’s garden but these newer varieties are quite desirable additions to containers and garden plots and with all kinds of garden partners.

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Miriam Jabour, a Master Gardener and Master Flower Show judge, has been active in the Openwood Plantation Garden Club for over 35 years. Write to her at 1114 Windy Lake Drive, Vicksburg, MS 39183.