Hybrids between Z. angustifolia and other species of Zinnia are popular garden plants.

[3] Zinnia angustifolia is an annual or perennial[4] growing up to 50 cm (20 inches) tall.

The stems have many branches and the herbage is rough with short hairs.

[5] The 2–7 cm × 4–8 mm (0.8-2.8 × 0.16-0.32 inches) leaf blades are linear to narrowly elliptic.

The heads of flowers have involucres that are mostly hemispheric (shaped like a globe that is cut in half), usually much less than 1 cm high (0.4 inches) or wide.