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Petunias have been garden favorites for decades.
Theseannual flowersbloom almost nonstop throughout the summer.
Traditional petunias (Petunia x hybrida) from the Solanaceae family favored cool weather and needed constantdeadheadingto continue blooming.
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Grandiflora Petunia
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Grandifloras are one of the oldest varieties.
The flowers can be single or ruffled doubles.
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Grandifloras work well in both beds and containers.
Multiflora Petunia
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Multiflora petunias have a more compact growth habit than grandifloras.
There is also a wide range of colors.
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There are also hybrids of grandiflora and multiflora petunias, which share qualities of both types.
A whole new category was created to describe them, known as the floribundas.
The floribunda ‘Madness’ series that was introduced in the 1970s has grandiflora-sized flowers and multiflora weather tolerance.
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Today, it’s possible for you to find floribunda petunias with either small or large flowers.
Wave petunias grow only six inches tall but can spread to four feet.
That feature is enough to make them worth growing, but wave petunias also do notneed deadheading.
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On the downside, they do wear out in the hottest part of the summer.
Prolonged heat diminishes flowering in wave petunias, but a little pruning will usually revive them.
Wave petunias make wonderfulgroundcoversand trailers for containers.
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There is also a ‘Tidal Wave’ series, which tends to stay a bit more upright.
Supertunias are part of the Proven Winner plant line.
Supertunias are extremely vigorous growers and bloomers, but they require frequent feeding to stay at their peak.
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Supertunias are also weather-tolerant.
Cascadia and Surfinia Petunias
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Cascadia and Surfiniaare two more popular types of petunias.
These are bred for their trailing habit, vivid colors, and prolific flowering.
They generally have the wide flowers of traditional petunias, in unusual colors.
You’ll find lots of interesting shading and veining with these petunias.
They are also easy to care for and spread or trail to about 18 inches.
These petunias are best suited for hanging baskets andwindow boxes.
However, they are increasingly popular and may just suit your purpose in a hanging basket.
They also come in unusual petunia colors, such as gold and terra-cotta.
