Zinnia elegans 'Giant Dahlia Polar Bear'
Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 1996
Good Qualities:
Color (2); Flower head size (2); Long stems (2); Good strong thick stems, strong upright plants.; Good white.; Color is nice but quality easily lost. Earliest harvest was best.; Large flowers.
Problems:
White flowers tend to turn brown around the edges (2).; Insect and other damage stands out more than with other varieties which may be overcome by more frequent harvesting.; Disease resistance low, no marketable flowers.; Plants seem weaker than the rest of the series.; Extremely slow and poor germination as well as slow growth following retarded establishment in the plots. In general, just a poor performer as a field grown cut flower (Olds, Alberta).
Trial Data
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating (1) | Repeat Again Rating (1) | Ease of Cultivation Rating (1) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 9.4 | 16.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.1 |
(1) 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Supplier
Benary Seed
1444 Larson St.
Sycamore, IL 60178
Comments:
Favorite white zinnias of 3 trialed by us.; White tinged with green, not a bright white but useful in designs.; Our market loves bright 'Mexican' or Southwestern colors--not a lot of demand for white.; Surprisingly well received by the retailer, all colors moving well.; 'Polar Bear' was smaller than salmon.