| Description | A group of Petunias with large double flowers. |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | All Plants, Annuals |
| Sunlight | Petunias do best in at least one half day of sunlight. |
| Moisture | average |
| Soil & Site | Prefer well drained ph of 6-7, but will tolerate average, never soggy. |
| Temperature | Acclimated plants are very tolerant of cooler to cold temperatures. In zone #5 they do best in the early spring to early summer (May-June), have a tendency to slow down in the hot drier months and than come on strong in the cool fall (mid-September-October). With a little protection I have had Petunia's in bloom on Turkey Day. Hardened Petunias can be plant in early May (zone #5) |
| Flowers | Flowers are a funnel shaped corolla tube flaring into a broad lip. The flower sits in a calyx consisting of five sepals. Size varies from 1 to 4 inches. Just about every color is found in this plants palette. |
| Leaves | The leaves are alternate and covered with a viscid pubescence, making them sticky when pinched. |
| Maintenance | Container plants need to be pruned to keep the plants compact. Deadheading will promote longer bloom time in both bedded and container grown plants. Plants in the garden may need cutting back in the hotter times of the year. The larger double flowers of this type need to continually deadheaded because when finished blooming the spent flower can create a mush gob on the plant. |
| Propagation | seeds, cuttings |
| Misc Facts | The first Petunia was discovered in Brazil, by a French commission in 1823. Petunia nyctaginiflora was white, night blooming and sweet scented. Most of the original plants were produced by crossing P. nyctaginiflora with P. viloacea and P. bicolor. By 1840 the Petunia was a fashionable plant. Most plants are listed today as Petunia x hybrid. Petunia is derived from the French word petun a Brazilian name for tobacco. |
| Notes & Reference | #28-Cottage Garden Annuals (Clive Lane) , #40-Herbaceous Ornamental Plants (Steven Stills) , #51-Armitage's Manual of Annuals, Biennials, and Half-Hardy Perennials (Alan Arimitage) |
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