Some info about petunias

They are actually evergreen perennials, hardy to Zone 9A. Very common and suitable to use as “Annuals” in colder climates. Most varieties available are hybrids: Petunia x hybrida,

Propagation
• Vegetative: propagated by stem cuttings. Reasons could be the plant produces sterile seed or doesn’t come true from seed. Patent pending etc. These are usually available as plants only
• Seed varieties are usually available by single variety or selected mixes. These are available as plants and/or seed packages

Daylight Neutral
• If the petunia is daylight neutral or semi-neutral, it will develop flower buds during short days in early spring and late fall. (less than 12 hour daylight)

Deadheading
• Many new varieties are “Free-Flowering”, which means they do not need to be deadheaded to encourage new flower bud formation. Some do need to be tidied up if the flowers don’t shed off.

Color
• Petunia “Purple” is more of a Magenta color. Petunia “Blue” looks deep blue-lavender, or dark royal purple. “Morn” is tri-color with the base color + White throat + Yellow center. Many colors change with temperatures and sunlight conditions. Bi-Colors, such as Sophistica Lime Bi-Color may have an irregular pattern

Bloom Patterns
• Star is usually base color with a White star. Petunia x hybrida Phantom is unique with near-Black base color and a Yellow star
• Picotee, Frost, Hulahoop all have base color with White edge. Supertunia Pretty Much Picasso is a Fuchsia base with Lime Edge
• Vein, Lace, Crystal and Ice are typically base color with dark veins. Daddy series are all veined.

Growth Habit
• Upright: about the same H x W good for planters or in ground
• Round or Bubble: slightly wider than high to give a round display
• Mounding: keeps height in the center, good for planters or in ground or more compact looking basket
• Mounding Spreading/Trailing: Stays about 10” to 14” high with 2’ + stems. Best choice for hanging basket
• Spreading/Trailing: Long stems, usually only 6” to 8” high with over 2’+ stems. Will sprawl in ground and drape in a basket
• Rule of thumb for # plants per basket: The number of plants is about half the diameter. So a 12” basket will do well with 5-6 plants (excluding Tidal Waves).

Flower Size
Milliflora: less than 2” small
Multiflora: about 2.5” medium
Floribunda: about 3” large
Grandiflora: 3.5” to 4” extra-large

Determinate versus Indeterminate for amount of flowers per stem
99.9% of the "Double" Flower petunias have one bloom at the end of the stem
Most of the Single Flower petunias are Indeterminate and have multiple blooms along the last section of the stem

“Compact” The plant is not small. Compact refers to a tight growth habit. Short internodes
“Dwarf” usually refers to the plant not the flower
“Vigorous” Strong stems and often longer internodes. Usually spreading or trailing types

I used a lot of these terms in the ATP database. Hope it helps


Petunia"BLUE"


Petunia"Blue Vein"


Petunia "PINK MORN"


Petunia "PURPLE"

Joanne, this would be good information to post in the database. Or at least a link to it.

I have asked Dave if he can do that

It's done! Thanks Joanne!

Petunias (Petunia)

Oh, that's excellent! Thanks to you both!

Great In formation

the nicest Petunia are from the Czech Republic
http://www.cernyseed.cz/eng.ph...

Joannabanana said:Some info about petunias

They are actually evergreen perennials, hardy to Zone 9A. Very common and suitable to use as “Annuals” in colder climates. Most varieties available are hybrids: Petunia x hybrida,

Propagation
• Vegetative: propagated by stem cuttings. Reasons could be the plant produces sterile seed or doesn’t come true from seed. Patent pending etc. These are usually available as plants only
• Seed varieties are usually available by single variety or selected mixes. These are available as plants and/or seed packages

Daylight Neutral
• If the petunia is daylight neutral or semi-neutral, it will develop flower buds during short days in early spring and late fall. (less than 12 hour daylight)

Deadheading
• Many new varieties are “Free-Flowering”, which means they do not need to be deadheaded to encourage new flower bud formation. Some do need to be tidied up if the flowers don’t shed off.

Color
• Petunia “Purple” is more of a Magenta color. Petunia “Blue” looks deep blue-lavender, or dark royal purple. “Morn” is tri-color with the base color + White throat + Yellow center. Many colors change with temperatures and sunlight conditions. Bi-Colors, such as Sophistica Lime Bi-Color may have an irregular pattern

Bloom Patterns
• Star is usually base color with a White star. Petunia x hybrida Phantom is unique with near-Black base color and a Yellow star
• Picotee, Frost, Hulahoop all have base color with White edge. Supertunia Pretty Much Picasso is a Fuchsia base with Lime Edge
• Vein, Lace, Crystal and Ice are typically base color with dark veins. Daddy series are all veined.

Growth Habit
• Upright: about the same H x W good for planters or in ground
• Round or Bubble: slightly wider than high to give a round display
• Mounding: keeps height in the center, good for planters or in ground or more compact looking basket
• Mounding Spreading/Trailing: Stays about 10” to 14” high with 2’ + stems. Best choice for hanging basket
• Spreading/Trailing: Long stems, usually only 6” to 8” high with over 2’+ stems. Will sprawl in ground and drape in a basket
• Rule of thumb for # plants per basket: The number of plants is about half the diameter. So a 12” basket will do well with 5-6 plants (excluding Tidal Waves).

Flower Size
Milliflora: less than 2” small
Multiflora: about 2.5” medium
Floribunda: about 3” large
Grandiflora: 3.5” to 4” extra-large

Determinate versus Indeterminate for amount of flowers per stem
99.9% of the "Double" Flower petunias have one bloom at the end of the stem
Most of the Single Flower petunias are Indeterminate and have multiple blooms along the last section of the stem

“Compact” The plant is not small. Compact refers to a tight growth habit. Short internodes
“Dwarf” usually refers to the plant not the flower
“Vigorous” Strong stems and often longer internodes. Usually spreading or trailing types

I used a lot of these terms in the ATP database. Hope it helps

• Multiflora Spreading/Trailing Petunia (Petunia Wave® Blue)
• Uploaded by Joannabanana

Petunia"BLUE"


Petunia"Blue Vein"

• Grandiflora Petunia (Petunia 'Dolce Limoncello')
• Uploaded by Joannabanana

Petunia "PINK MORN"


Petunia "PURPLE"

Awesome post, Joannabanana. I am in zone 7 and I grow them as annuals. Sadly, my tulips grow as annuals, too. smh. that one I don't get.

Beautiful photos and great info, Joanna. Petunias don't do well for me. They really dislike the summer heat in Oklahoma. Wonder if there are any cultivers that are more heat tolerant?

Susan

Beautiful pictures and great information, Joanne!

I was wondering how I might have missed this before and then I realized that I had joined in July of 2012. Maybe I hadn't fully explored all of the threads back then and am just now finding it

Great info!

I started a large container of the Wave blue you posted on my mom's porch and it went crazy. Cars slowed down, seriously. It fizzled out early and was replaced with a Wave pink that did well but never compared to that first "blue". At the same time I started another pot with "conventional" petunias. A waxy black in the back with a draping black/yellow out front. Plain little German Brick but I do plant to impress. Cars again slowed to take in the view. I went to check the mail one day and startled a woman with a huge camera and macro lens zapping pictures.

She started to explain that she lived 20 doors down and walked every day. Ring finger filled (just my luck). But I still opened the back gate and let her shoot flowers and veggies. Gave her some 'maters and peppers to go.

Funny how you meet people, Petunias draw folks in. I've made more money from Impatiens and annual Begonias but I believe Petunias are a more inviting bloom. Definitely a "front porch" welcome mat of sorts.

I'll continue to sample and enjoy for years.

I love petunias!!
I buy them every year for my flower garden. They don't last all year in my neck of the woods, but that's OK. It makes me happy planting them in different places each year.

Petunias are just so lovely. They come in such a variety of colors and smell magnificent. I have a few on my balcony and really enjoy them.

@AimeeHoward! Looking forward to seeing you around the forums

Going back years ago, I planted wave petunias. The following years they, and other varieties, have self sown freely.

I bookmarked this in a file to be used next spring. I misjudged the petunia I planted this year, and although they were absolutely lovely, the label was intentionally misleading, and I had an old variety. This is priceless useful info. Thank you.

In my part of NC ( on the cusp of zones 7 and 8) petunias self seed vigorously, to the point of being invasive, and even manage to overwinter. The ones that do are older heirloom varieties that have been self propigating here for over well 50 years so I have no idea what the original stock was. Obviously they are well adapted to the heat and humidity but the blooms take on more muted colors like white or pale pink. They get quite leggy but, having just found out the benefits of pruning them, this year I will try to keep them to a better form.
I grow the F1 types in baskets and have found that by doing this cross pollination occurs with the older types giving them much deeper colors, fuscia to purple, and patterns. They're a real box of chocolates.

[lightbox]2018-03-09/UncleWill

I agree Will, I love strolling in late summer/early fall to see those new & different color combinations.



The poor lily - an innocent bystander to the chaos.

I have 3 red petunias that have been blooming under lights all Winter. I hadn't planted any for several years, so they were old volunteers from old potting soil.



Amazing how some seeds will survive and wait for the opportunity to grow!

That is awesome, Yardenman! I can't imagine seeing petunias blooming in winter.

Old-fashioned petunias started growing on our property when we dug out a new area for some landscaping over 20 years ago. I've had them ever since!