When admiring the rich array of zinnias at ground level, I almost missed this tall, stately zinnia. It reminded me of an umbrella, ready to shelter bugs overwhelmed by the sun. A Zinnia is a genus of plants of the sunflower tribe within the daisy family. Zinnias are useful plants in the garden for attracting hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. The large-flowered varieties provide pollen and nectar in late summer when native sources are running low.