The Fleuroselect judges' were charmed in their appraisal of Zinnia haageana 'Aztec Sunset' by the remarkable bicolour mix and the amount of double flowers in comparison to existing cultivars. An exceptionally compact habit and excellent resistance to mildew helped complete a perfect picture making 'Aztec Sunset' a real Gold Medal winner. 'Aztec Sunset' measures only 15 cm in height and has a spread of 25 cm. The spreading plants are almost completely covered with a carpet of flowers.

Use

Zinnia haageana 'Aztec Sunset' is characterised by a very striking mixture of two colours. This two-tone mix will draw everybody's attention when displayed on plant benches in garden centres.

Market Value

In spite of the fact that the name 'Aztec Sunset' has a warm feel to it, this 2007 Gold Medal winner thrives in moderate climes such as in Scandinavia. This variety can also perform well in Japanese climate for example. This broadens its market potential. Furthermore, the compact habit of 'Aztec Sunset' makes it particularly attractive to the retail trade market. In its original form, Zinnia haageana easily reaches a height of several tens of centimetres. The 'Aztec Sunset' variety however measures only 15 to 25 cm. Initially, 'Aztec Sunset' was bred for the seed packet market. In principle, however, this colourful mixture can be grown in the same way as any other Zinnia and can therefore be viewed as a valuable addition to the broad supply of bedding plants.  Moreover, it is important to realise that 'Aztec Sunset' is blessed with the excellent mildew resistance that makes Zinnia haageana a strong variety. With regard to further breeding, the development of more colours in this series remains a challenge. A shift to different colour combinations is possible and this opens many possibilities for Zinnia haageana.