The Sanvitalia plant belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is part of the Asteroidea genus and is of the type Sanvitalia procumbens. Other common names of this plant include Mexican creeping zinnia, miniature sunflower, and dwarf sunflower. It is originally from Central America, from areas like Mexico and Guatemala. It is a popular bucket and balcony plant and develops a lot of small flowers.
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Features of the Sanvitalia Procumbens
This is an annual plant that typically grows to a height of 20 to 45 cm and spreads 10 to 30 cm. The flowers of this plant are orange or yellow in color and have a brown center. It usually grows on dry, rocky hills that are at a height of 1100 to 1350 meters. It has established itself in Europe for over 200 years now. The foliage color of this plant is a deep vibrant green. It is mainly grown for its flowers that are very attractive.
The blooming season for this plant is June to October. The flowers are pollen-rich, which is why bees and other pollinators are often seen around the plant. Adding to that, this plant is not toxic to any animals or people. It is best put to use in hanging baskets, containers, sunny beds, and paths. The stems of this plant are long and thin, on top of which the flowers bloom. The plant has a hemispherical involucre, which is usually less than 1 cm in diameter. The bracts have a length of around 4 to 5 mm. They are light green in color and are oval-shaped. The petals of the flower have a length of around 4 to 9 mm.
Cultivation of the Sanvitalia Procumbens
This plant needs full sun to grow, which means it needs 6 hours or more of direct sunlight. In some locations where the weather is more suitable, the plant can also do well in part sun, which means that the plant needs to be exposed to sunlight for around 4 to 6 hours a day. In addition to that, this plant is hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11. It is a fairly low maintenance plant overall that requires an average amount of water. Care should be taken to not overwater the plant as that can cause the plant to rot. On hot days, the plant might need watering twice a day. When planting, care should be taken to have the plants placed around 8 inches apart to ensure that the roots have enough space to grow and to allow for enough air circulation.
A sufficient amount of air circulation ensures that the plant gets a good amount of oxygen. It can then grow in the right manner. Apart from that, this plant is heat and drought tolerant, which makes it all the more easy to maintain. It is non-invasive and requires moist but well-drained soil to grow well. Light, sandy soil is preferred.
The ideal propagation method for this plant is by seeds. The seeds should be sown on the surface before the last frost of the spring. A temperature of 20 to 21 degrees Celsius is ideal for the seeds to germinate, and the germination period is around 2 to 3 weeks. Deadheading is not very important for this plant owing to the fact that the plant buries the dead flowers itself. This means that as new flowers come, old flowers are automatically covered, and hence, the plant keeps looking healthy and fresh.
Any organic fertilizer can be used on this plant to ensure that it gets all the nutrients it needs to grow properly, although liquid fertilizers are usually preferred. Using compost as a fertilizer is also highly recommended. Adding to that, this plant does not have any serious insect or disease problems.
Types of Sanvitalia Flowers
Sprite Series
This plant series consists of low growing creeping plants that have bright yellow-colored flowers. The plants of this series are used in baskets or as hanging plants. They require full sun to grow with soil that is moisture retentive. However, the level of water in the soil should be maintained so that the soil doesn’t end up getting too soggy. That can be a major hindrance for the plant’s healthy growth. It can tolerate heat, which means it can handle the temperatures where the climate is a bit on the warmer side. To ensure that this plant remains healthy looking and fresh, trimming is highly advised. The flowers are semi-double, and the foliage color is bright green. Seeds used for the propagation should be sown low (less than a few inches).
This genus is native to South America. ‘Orange Sprite’ is a common plant in this series. It typically grows to a height of around 4 inches and is a half-hardy plant. It is relatively easy to maintain and requires partial sun or semi-shade in order to grow well. The soil needs to be well-drained and moist. This variety needs occasional watering depending on the climate. However, care should be taken not to overwater the plant as that can cause a lot of damage. It is ideal for ground cover, patios and wildlife gardens. This plant received the award for RHS plants for pollinators.
Gold Braid
This variety is a profuse bloomer that has golden-yellow colored flowers that are dark brown at the center. The leaves of this variety are medium green in color and are round and pointed. The blooming season for the flowers of this variety is early summer to fall. This variety can best be put to use as a ground cover or a container plant. This plant typically grows to a height of around 0.67 feet and spreads approximately 1 to 1.5 feet. It is an annual or biennial plant that has a spreading nature.
The leaves of this variety are small, and the flowers are showy. It can tolerate a significant amount of heat and humidity and is resistant to deer. The USDA hardiness zones for this variety are 9 to 11. The plant needs full sun in order to grow to its healthiest. The soil should be normal to moist – it can be sandy loam or clay loam with a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.5. In addition to that, the plant needs fertilizing in order to grow well.
Water-soluble, temperature-controlled, or organic fertilizers are best suited for this task. They ensure that the plant gets all the nutrients it needs. The plant should be watered as such that it gets around an inch of water each week. Using compost on the soil can help with the soil’s texture. This can ensure that the water holding capacity of the soil gets better. Having said that, it’s important to make sure that you don’t overwater this plant as that can lead to issues with the plant’s growth.
Irish Eyes
This variety is an annual that requires full sun exposure in order to grow well. It grows to a height of under 6 inches approximately and is spaced at 15 to 18 inches. The flowers of this variety are yellowish-orange and have green centers. The flowers bloom in late spring, early summer, midsummer, late summer or early fall, which are the blooming seasons for this plant. The ideal propagation method for this variety is through seeds. The seed should be sown indoors before the last frost. This variety can best be put to use in baskets or as ground cover.
Well-drained fertile soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 is best for this plant. This ensures that this plant gets enough nutrition. This variety is drought tolerant, and it takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks for this plant to grow to a healthy size. The location chosen for this plant should have little to no foot traffic to ensure that the plant does not get damaged or spoiled in any way. An average amount of watering is needed for this plant. It should be enough to make sure that the soil is moist, but not soggy. Soggy soil can be harmful to the plant.
Mandarin Orange
This variety is characterized by double flowers that are rich orange in color. They have dark brown centers and resemble miniature sunflowers. The plant grows to a height of 4 to 8 inches. The foliage color of this variety is a bright green. The germination period for the seeds of this variety is around one to two weeks, and it is best if the seeding is started indoors in order for the plant to grow well. Adding to that, this plant thrives in hot and humid conditions. It can best be put to use for edging or in containers.
In periods of dry weather, this plant looks best. The blooming season for the pretty flowers of this variety is from summer to fall. The seeds take around 10 weeks to bloom. This plant ideally needs full sun to grow. The soil should be moist, but well-drained at the same time. When it comes to the acidity of the soil, it can be slightly acidic to neutral.
As with most variants of Sanvitalia procumbens, overwatering is something that can seriously harm the plant, so special care must be taken to ensure that the plant on gets the amount of water it needs to grow. This plant might need fertilizing at times. Prior to planting, some compost can be used. If containers are being used to grow this plant, then any granular or liquid fertilizer can be put to use.
Apart from that, this plant does not have any serious insect or disease problems. A point to be noted about this variety is that it is the 1987 AAS Flower Winner. The name Sanvitalia honors an Italian professor by the name of Federico Sanvitali (1704-1761), whereas the epithet procumbens means laying prostrate or laying face down.
Sanvitalia Abertii
This variety is an annual herb that is native to California, Mexico, and Texas. It belongs to the Asteraceae family and grows to a height of approximately 1 foot tall. The bloom color of this variety is either yellow or orange, and the bloom time for this variety is from August to September. It also requires full sun in order to grow into a healthy plant. Alongside that, fertile soil is needed to ensure that this plant gets all the nutrients it needs in order to grow properly.
Water-soluble, temperature-controlled, or organic fertilizers are best suited for the task of fertilizing this plant. They ensure that the plant gets all the nutrients it needs. When planting the seeds of this variety, care should be taken to leave a significant amount of space between them, so that the roots of the plant have enough space to grow. This allows for a good amount of air circulation, which helps in the healthy growth of the plant.
Sanvitalia Ocymoides
This variety is an annual one that grows to a height of approximately 4 inches tall. The bloom colors can be white, orange, or yellow, and the bloom time for the beautiful flowers of this variety is from June to November. In addition to that, this variety is drought-tolerant and is very suitable for xeriscaping. The foliage of this variety is herbaceous and smooth. The best way to grow this variety of Sanvitalia is by seed propagation. When growing this variety, the seeds should be spaced around 3 to 6 inches apart in order to ensure that the roots have enough space to grow. This space is crucial to allow for healthy circulation of air. The seed heads should be allowed to dry on the plants. Then, they can be removed, and the seeds can be collected. This variety is known to grow in the following regions; Cincinnati, Ohio, Richboro, Pennsylvania, Harlingen, Texas and San Antonio, Texas.
This plant is a very pretty one that can make any garden look beautiful with the colorful yellow blooms that it has. Due to the fact that it looks so much like the sunflower, it is a popular pick for so many people. The fact that it can be put to use in so many different ways gives the plant an edge over a lot of other plants.
The best way to grow this plant is through the use of seeds. Owing to the fact that this plant can be grown as an indoor plant, too, a lot of people choose to keep it inside their homes. This enhances the look of their house greatly. It’s also easy to maintain this plant, so you can enjoy the beauty that it provides, without having to put much effort into taking care of it.