About Zinnia
Zinnia supports pollinators, beneficial insects, or pest trapping — best as borders, orchard understorey, or strips between vegetable blocks.
Essential beside cucurbits, apples, and berry fruit in NZ food forests.
Good companions
Plants that pair well with Zinnia — tap for their guides. Cited sources appear where research is linked in the matrix.
Listed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
CucumberListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
TomatoListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
YarrowListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
CosmosListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
Avoid planting together
Known poor neighbours — spacing apart or rotating beds reduces shared pest and disease pressure.
No incompatible companions listed — check the full matrix for neutral pairings.
Growing tips
- Mix early and late bloomers for season-long insect habitat.
- Accept some trap-crop damage on nasturtiums and sacrificial flowers.
- Place pollinator strips within 10 m of crops that need insect pollination.
Use the compatibility matrix
Filter to Zinnia to see green (beneficial), red (incompatible), and grey (neutral) for every pair among 162 plants. Desktop: hover cells. Mobile: tap for details.