Ecology. Petunias belong to the Solanceae family or the family of nightshades, including tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco, and eggplants. [11] The flowers are eaten by the larvae of the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea and the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni.[12]. This hardy, low-growing velvety furled petunia is ideal for containers and groundcover. Spreading, or Wave petunias, are a recent addition with blooms typically measuring about 2 inches (5 cm.) A 2013 introduction, the tidy, compact growth habit of this petunia works well at the front of the border. For an alternative silver petunia variety, you can try ‘Tidal Wave Silver,’ an All-America Selections (AAS) winner. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They look extraordinary in hanging baskets, window boxes, and containers, and they come in colors such as light-pink, lavender, deep-purple, and several variegated types. Used in beds, they grow practically flat; they're wonderful cascaders when planted in containers. With single, funnel-shaped blooms, this petunia is very tolerant of heat and is very compact, spreading to 15 inches wide and 15 inches high. What’s not to like about the ‘Purple Pirouette’ petunia? The large deep pink flowers have dark pink veins and white centers. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. Applying fertilizer monthly or weekly, depending on the variety, will help the plant grow quickly. The Daddy variety of petunias has bright, beautiful colors and veins running through each petal, giving them a very unique look. They are great in beds and as borders, and they come in colors such as salmon, burgundy, and pink. “Classification for Kingdom Plantae Down to Family Solanaceae”. If there’s ever a contest for the most alluring flower, this will win it hands down! Brown, Deborah. Petunias can tolerate relatively harsh conditions and hot climates, but not frost. The beautiful white flowers have deep yellow veins and throat. In the Coastal and Tropical South, where they're winter annuals, you can plant them in fall, and they will bloom through the following spring. They don’t tend to flower in the shade. They can have veins throughout their petals and come in colors such as lavender, blue, and purple. If 4-inch-high 'Purple Wave' is too tall for you, consider the Supertunia and Surfinia Series. (No wonder; they were also bred by the Kirin Brewery Company.) Terrific TrailersHow low can you go? Well, the plant spreads out like a ground cover. Sign up for our newsletter. They grow up to 10 inches high and come in colors such as blue and pink. Multiflora petunias are smaller plants with more numerous but smaller blooms. If you’ve ever seen a petunia hanging basket hanging from a city lamppost or public park that looked like a giant ball of flowers, you were probably looking at one of the ‘Sweetunia’ series petunias. Probably the first petunias to offer hope to Southern gardeners were the Madness Series. With 4-inch-wide blooms and colors such as red, pink, lilac, and rose, they like a lot of sun and bloom from Spring through the Summer months. Mature size of the plants is generally about 8 inches (20 cm.) Trouble was, they didn't enjoy the heat, humidity, and downpours that characterize Southern summers. They look great in borders and containers and come in colors such as burgundy and gold, and raspberry-pink and white. Keep an eye out for these trees, and avoid them at all costs, Southern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. This article may include references and links to products and services from one or more of our advertisers. These types of petunias can tolerate heat and drought very well. Their colors include variegated and solid types, in tones such as pink, orange, white, neon red, peach, yellow, and rose. Their colors include rose, deep-red, yellow, and deep-purple, including variegated types. Still available, they have 3-inch blooms in a full range of colors; many flowers offer attractive veining. By: Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer. The Headliner has medium vigor and gets up to 30 inches wide and 16 inches high. Native to Texas,... © 2020 Balcony Garden Web | All rights reserved, 25 Types of Petunias | Best Petunia Varieties, Check out our article on the best types of Pittosporum, Growing Avocado Indoors | Planting Avocado Tree in Container, 13 Metallic Sheen Indoor Plants | Plants with Metallic Leaves, 17 Awesome Indoor Windowsill Flower Garden Ideas, 5 Tolkien Jade Plant Types You Can Grow Indoors, How to Cut an Aloe Vera Plant Without Killing it. The Hedgiflora produces lots of flowers, the Multiflora produces hardy flowers that bloom during both hot and wet seasons while the Milliflora type is the smallest petunias. The neutral hue works with any garden color scheme, including pinks, reds, blues, and white. The spreading growth habit makes this plant ideal for borders of flower beds or ground covers. For other uses, see. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Southern Living is a registered trademark of, 70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends, 20 Easy and Delicious Sunday Dinner Recipes, 33 Things to Write in a Wedding Card If You’re Not Sure What’s Appropriate, 12 Trees You Shouldn't Plant in Your Yard. Discover the different kinds of petunias: Supertunias, Wave petunias, Grandifloras, Floribundas and more. The bright flowers have white rims and are disease-resistant. Cascadia Petunias bloom prolifically from late-Spring until the first frost, and they have beautiful green foliage to compliment their colors. 1. These are bred for their trailing habit, vivid colors, and prolific flowering. Its name comes from the Brazilian word petun which means tobacco, a plant to which it is genetically related. The beautiful, funnel-shaped flowers of this variety are available in blue, red, coral, pink, and raspberry shades.