Zinnia
Will Rogers

Tall zinnia with crimson 5-inch blooms, named after the beloved American performer Will Rogers.

About Will Rogers

(Zinnia elegans). Like its namesake, Will Rogers zinnia is tall and lanky, growing three feet tall with brilliantly crimson 5-inch blooms! Will Rogers was a beloved American performer, humorist, and cowboy philosopher and one of the most quotable characters of the 20th century. Often called "Oklahoma's Favorite Son," he grew up on a ranch near Oologah, Oklahoma. After he died in a plane crash in 1935, Rogers' name was attached to several flowers, including a rose, a coleus, and this zinnia, bred by John Bodger of Bodger Seeds in California. He created the double-flowered, dahlia type zinnia, of which the Will Rogers is one. Bodger listed the variety as new in its seed list for 1939-40. The previous year, Los Angeles seed house Germains listed Will Rogers zinnia as a new variety, calling its color "a strikingly brilliant blending of scarlet and crimson." We are happy to be bringing back this classic flower named for an American icon!