Zinnia elegans, commonly known as common zinnia, is a warm-season annual flowering plant native to Mexico, widely cultivated for its bold, long-lasting blooms and upright, bushy habit. Depending on the cultivar, plants typically grow 12 to 36 inches tall, with some taller selections reaching up to 48 inches, and spread 8 to 18 inches wide, forming sturdy, well-branched clumps with coarse, opposite leaves that are 3 to 7 inches long and covered with fine hairs. The showy composite flower heads are borne singly on strong, hollow stems and measure 2 to 6 inches across, ranging from simple, single forms to fully double, dahlia-like blooms in a broad spectrum of colors including red, pink, orange, yellow, purple, white, and bi-colored patterns. Flowering begins in early summer and continues until frost, especially when spent blooms are regularly removed. Zinnia elegans thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, prefers warm temperatures, and is notably tolerant of heat and moderate drought, making it a favorite for garden beds, borders, mass plantings, and cut-flower gardens, where its height, vivid coloration, and strong stems provide both ornamental impact and excellent vase life.