Zinnia’s modern history is relatively new. Native to Mexico, it wasn’t studied until seeds were brought to Europe in the 19th century. Soon after, the garden zinnia was bred, yielding hundreds of cultivars with a wide range of flower colours, sizes and forms.

The 'Peppermint stick' variety is one of those vintage cultivars that first appeared in 1950s flower catalogues and is still appreciated for its delicate flowers with red stripes and speckles that come in a mix of cream, orange, white and yellow. Before being just an ornamental, zinnias were valued as a healing plant by the Navajo tribe; for some Pueblo tribes, zinnias are a symbol of wisdom and are fed to young children in hopes of making them grow up intelligent.