Garden Petunia Petunia x hybrida
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- peh-TEWN-ya HYE-brid-ah
- Description
-
Garden Petunia is an annual in the nightshade family that blooms continuously throughout the summer until frost and is one of the most popular bedding plants. Seeds can be sown in January-March under glass as they require a germination temperature of 72-75 degrees but many people purchase plants in six-packs from local nurseries. Pinching purchased plants back before transplanting them will help them maintain a bushy habit.
Plant in full sun to partial shade and light and well-drained soils. While it can survive in heavy shade, the blooms will suffer. Deadheading provides optimal performance and increased flower bud production. Leggy plants should be pinched back. Plants may be overwintered indoors in a bright location away from heated air.
This plant has moderate drought tolerance, is seldom damaged by deer and does excellent as a bedding plant and in containers. It can tolerate poor soils as long as they have good drainage. Plant in beds and border fronts, along edges, in containers, or hanging baskets, window boxes, or in interior sun rooms in the winter.
The major groupings of hybrid petunias are:
Cascading hybrids- Cascading stems best for hanging baskets or ground covers
Grandiflora hybrids- Large showy flowers up to 4” wide
Multiflora hybrids- Smaller flowers 2" wide but more abundant than Grandiflora
Quick ID Hints:
- Funnelform flowers
- Anthers yellow
- Decumbent herb with sticky pubescence
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Aphids, flea beetles, slugs, and snails are insect problems. Root rot, gray mold, and tobacco mosaic virus are disease problems. Some cultivars have shown poor resistance to phytophthora root rot or stem rot. See Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot in the Landscape.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Deck Garden Davidson County Extension Demonstration Garden Container Gardens
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- (Avalanche® Group) Lavender 'BEP10214'
Lavender flowers, cascading plant - (Avalanche® Group) Lilac 'BEP10215'
Mounding spreading habit with lilac flowers - 'Black Velvet'
- 'Blue Ice'
- 'Blue Wave'
- 'Bubblegum'
- 'Debonaire Black Cherry'
- 'Dream Pink'
- 'Dreams Salmon'
- 'Eagle Pastel Pink'
- 'Eagle Pink'
- 'Easy Wave Red Improved'
- 'Fant'
- 'Flash Mob Redtastic'
- 'Lagender Skies'
- (Madness® Group) Yellow 'PAS713683'
Long bloom period. Mounding to upright habit. Poor resistance to phytophthora root rot or stem rot. - 'Opera Supreme Pink Morn'
- 'Phantom'
- 'Picnic Light Pink'
- 'Picnic Purple'
- 'Pink Charm'
- 'Sanguna Lavender Vein'
- 'Shockwave Deep Purple'
- 'Shock Wave Denim'
- (Shock Wave® Group) Coral Crush 'PAS803824'
Small blooms are great for small gardens or containers. - 'SUM Indigo Charm'
- 'Supercal Neon Rose'
- (Supertunia® Group) Indigo Charm 'Ustun29801'
Purple flowers - (Supertunia® Group) Orchid Charm
- (Supertunia® Group) Pink Charm
- (Supertunia® Group) Pretty Much Picasso
- (Supertunia® Group) Raspberry Blast
- (Supertunia®Group) Royal Velvet 'BBTUN10102'
Slightly mounding and trailing, deep purple flowers - (Supertunia® Group) Sangria Charm
- (Supertunia® Group) Vista Bubblegum 'USTUNI6001'
Pink flowers with deeper veins on petals - (Supertunia® Group) Vista Lavender
- (Supertunia® Group) Vista Silverberry 'USTUNI60-01M'
White flowers with magenta veins on the petals - (Supertunia® Group) White 'USTUN87002'
White fowers - (Sweetunia® Group) Black Satin
black flowers; semi-upright; daylength neutral. - 'Trilogy Blue'
- 'Violet Picotee'
Poor resistance to phytophthora root rot or stem rot. - 'Vista Fuschia'
- (Wave® Group) Purple Classic 'PAS3186'
Low growing, spreading variety, great as groundcover or cascading over walls. - 'Whispers Lavender Eye'
- 'Whispers Star Rose'
- (Avalanche® Group) Lavender 'BEP10214'
- (Avalanche® Group) Lavender 'BEP10214', (Avalanche® Group) Lilac 'BEP10215', 'Black Velvet', 'Blue Ice', 'Blue Wave', 'Bubblegum', 'Debonaire Black Cherry', 'Dream Pink', 'Dreams Salmon', 'Eagle Pastel Pink', 'Eagle Pink', 'Easy Wave Red Improved', 'Fant', 'Flash Mob Redtastic', 'Lagender Skies', (Madness® Group) Yellow 'PAS713683', 'Opera Supreme Pink Morn', 'Phantom', 'Picnic Light Pink', 'Picnic Purple', 'Pink Charm', 'Sanguna Lavender Vein', 'Shockwave Deep Purple', 'Shock Wave Denim', (Shock Wave® Group) Coral Crush 'PAS803824', 'SUM Indigo Charm', 'Supercal Neon Rose', (Supertunia® Group) Indigo Charm 'Ustun29801', (Supertunia® Group) Orchid Charm, (Supertunia® Group) Pink Charm, (Supertunia® Group) Pretty Much Picasso, (Supertunia® Group) Raspberry Blast, (Supertunia®Group) Royal Velvet 'BBTUN10102', (Supertunia® Group) Sangria Charm, (Supertunia® Group) Vista Bubblegum 'USTUNI6001', (Supertunia® Group) Vista Lavender, (Supertunia® Group) Vista Silverberry 'USTUNI60-01M', (Supertunia® Group) White 'USTUN87002', (Sweetunia® Group) Black Satin, 'Trilogy Blue', 'Violet Picotee', 'Vista Fuschia', (Wave® Group) Purple Classic 'PAS3186', 'Whispers Lavender Eye', 'Whispers Star Rose'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- (Avalanche® Group) Lavender 'BEP10214'
Lavender flowers, cascading plant - (Avalanche® Group) Lilac 'BEP10215'
Mounding spreading habit with lilac flowers - 'Black Velvet'
- 'Blue Ice'
- 'Blue Wave'
- 'Bubblegum'
- 'Debonaire Black Cherry'
- 'Dream Pink'
- 'Dreams Salmon'
- 'Eagle Pastel Pink'
- 'Eagle Pink'
- 'Easy Wave Red Improved'
- 'Fant'
- 'Flash Mob Redtastic'
- 'Lagender Skies'
- (Madness® Group) Yellow 'PAS713683'
Long bloom period. Mounding to upright habit. Poor resistance to phytophthora root rot or stem rot. - 'Opera Supreme Pink Morn'
- 'Phantom'
- 'Picnic Light Pink'
- 'Picnic Purple'
- 'Pink Charm'
- 'Sanguna Lavender Vein'
- 'Shockwave Deep Purple'
- 'Shock Wave Denim'
- (Shock Wave® Group) Coral Crush 'PAS803824'
Small blooms are great for small gardens or containers. - 'SUM Indigo Charm'
- 'Supercal Neon Rose'
- (Supertunia® Group) Indigo Charm 'Ustun29801'
Purple flowers - (Supertunia® Group) Orchid Charm
- (Supertunia® Group) Pink Charm
- (Supertunia® Group) Pretty Much Picasso
- (Supertunia® Group) Raspberry Blast
- (Supertunia®Group) Royal Velvet 'BBTUN10102'
Slightly mounding and trailing, deep purple flowers - (Supertunia® Group) Sangria Charm
- (Supertunia® Group) Vista Bubblegum 'USTUNI6001'
Pink flowers with deeper veins on petals - (Supertunia® Group) Vista Lavender
- (Supertunia® Group) Vista Silverberry 'USTUNI60-01M'
White flowers with magenta veins on the petals - (Supertunia® Group) White 'USTUN87002'
White fowers - (Sweetunia® Group) Black Satin
black flowers; semi-upright; daylength neutral. - 'Trilogy Blue'
- 'Violet Picotee'
Poor resistance to phytophthora root rot or stem rot. - 'Vista Fuschia'
- (Wave® Group) Purple Classic 'PAS3186'
Low growing, spreading variety, great as groundcover or cascading over walls. - 'Whispers Lavender Eye'
- 'Whispers Star Rose'
- (Avalanche® Group) Lavender 'BEP10214'
- (Avalanche® Group) Lavender 'BEP10214', (Avalanche® Group) Lilac 'BEP10215', 'Black Velvet', 'Blue Ice', 'Blue Wave', 'Bubblegum', 'Debonaire Black Cherry', 'Dream Pink', 'Dreams Salmon', 'Eagle Pastel Pink', 'Eagle Pink', 'Easy Wave Red Improved', 'Fant', 'Flash Mob Redtastic', 'Lagender Skies', (Madness® Group) Yellow 'PAS713683', 'Opera Supreme Pink Morn', 'Phantom', 'Picnic Light Pink', 'Picnic Purple', 'Pink Charm', 'Sanguna Lavender Vein', 'Shockwave Deep Purple', 'Shock Wave Denim', (Shock Wave® Group) Coral Crush 'PAS803824', 'SUM Indigo Charm', 'Supercal Neon Rose', (Supertunia® Group) Indigo Charm 'Ustun29801', (Supertunia® Group) Orchid Charm, (Supertunia® Group) Pink Charm, (Supertunia® Group) Pretty Much Picasso, (Supertunia® Group) Raspberry Blast, (Supertunia®Group) Royal Velvet 'BBTUN10102', (Supertunia® Group) Sangria Charm, (Supertunia® Group) Vista Bubblegum 'USTUNI6001', (Supertunia® Group) Vista Lavender, (Supertunia® Group) Vista Silverberry 'USTUNI60-01M', (Supertunia® Group) White 'USTUN87002', (Sweetunia® Group) Black Satin, 'Trilogy Blue', 'Violet Picotee', 'Vista Fuschia', (Wave® Group) Purple Classic 'PAS3186', 'Whispers Lavender Eye', 'Whispers Star Rose'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Petunia
- Family:
- Solanaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Wildlife Value:
- Flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Ground Cover
- Houseplant
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Horizontal
- Rounded
- Spreading
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Medium
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Orange
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Variegated
- White
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Long Bloom Season
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Funnel
- Flower Description:
- Fragrant funnel-shaped flowers come in all colors including variegated except brown and black and can be single or doubles. They are solitary flowers in upper leaf axils and pedicillate. Calyx is cylindric, 5-lobed, and lobes are about 1/3 of the length. Corolla is funnelform, single to double, anthrocyanin-pigmented, and rarely striped. Anthers are yellow.
-
-
Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Soft
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Ovate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Description:
- Fragrant leaves are simple, sessile, alternate to sub-opposite above, ovate, and pubescent.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Stems are decumbent, viscid-pubescent, spreading lateral and creeping from underground stem forming an irregular carpet over the ground, upturning terminally. Lateral stems are sub erect.
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Hanging Baskets
- Houseplants
- Patio
- Pool/Hardscape
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Hummingbirds
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Poor Soil
