New zinnias from the SCOPE program | Trina Kleist/UC Davis
The zinnias above are named Estelita, Shirley, and Clara, from left to right. They were perhaps the breeders’ favorites among a batch of new varieties that debuted at a recent field day on the University of California, Davis campus.
These new zinnias, in addition to the production of new varieties of tomatoes and wheat, are the work of the UC Davis SCOPE (Student Collaborative Organic Plant Breeding Education) program, which is largely run by students from the Department of Plant Sciences and overseen by Professor Charlie Brummer, the Director of the UC Davis Plant Breeding Center.
After years of selective breeding for eye-pleasing qualities (color, shape, texture, etc.) in addition to yield and disease-resistant attributes, the students of the SCOPE program debuted these new zinnias at the field day on Aug. 21, 2024, held on the UC Davis Student Farm.
The UC Davis SCOPE Program Zinnia Varieties
The zinnia project within the SCOPE program produced color shades including:
- Green
- Ivory
- Lavender
- Orange
- Pink
- Rose
- Salmon
- Yellow
Other selective breeding practices led to novelties such as double petals, longer stems, and texture variations.
Zinnia breeder and Doctoral Student Will Hazzard has credited the SCOPE program for giving him the opportunity to develop relationships with growers, who have in turn become valuable partners and contributors to the development process of new varieties. Growers that Hazzard has met during his time with the program include:
“I want these flowers to be out in the world,” says Hazzard. “That’s the goal of any breeding program…I would consider that to be a real joy.”
After the success of the field day, SCOPE is sending seeds of its zinnia varieties to be planted throughout California by partnering with the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and the University of California, Santa Cruz. The goal of this project is to develop various plant varieties that are capable of not only surviving but thriving in the state’s sometimes chaotic climate zones.
For additional information on zinnia varieties available for testing, including Clara, Estelita, and Shirley, growers and industry professionals can reach out to [email protected].
