Zinnia: The first ever flower grown in space Zinnia- The first ever flower grown in space

Zinnia became the first flower that has finally bloomed in outer space. The flower was grown as part of an experiment astronauts are conducting on how plants grow in microgravity.

• The flowers were grown inside the Veggie lab aboard International Space Station (ISS) which was installed in early May 2014.
• With the success of this experiment, Zinnia has become the first flowering plant grown outside Earth’s atmosphere.

The flowers appear similar to those grown on Earth, except for the curled edges of the petals, which could be due to the zero-gravity conditions. This has also paved the way for flowering crops such as tomatoes to be grown in space.

• The system, according to scientists, uses red, blue and green LED lights to simulate sunlight, making the successful growth of the flower.