Different Kinds Of Petunias’ Plant Types & Varieties
Grandiflora, Multiflora, and Milliflora, Wave Petunia. Oh My! Petunias come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, including unique black and bi-colored varieties. Choose the perfect type for your garden or hanging basket.
Petunias are popular flowering plants found in different vibrant colors. Most petunia varieties are also classified based on color only. Apart from color, they are also categorized on the basis of their flower type and growth habit.
As for the color, you can find petunias in an array of shades like yellow, blue, purple, red, pink, and white. They may also have different patterns, such as blotches or stripes, and may be solid or have a contrasting center.
Some people cluster the different varieties of petunias based on their flower types, which include multiflora, double-flowered, and single-flowered types.
The single-flowered petunias have a single row of petals, whereas the double-flowered ones have multiple rows of petals, giving them a fuller appearance. Multiflora petunias have smaller flowers with more blooms per plant.
As for the growth habit, the petunia cultivars may be upright or spreading. The former grows vertically and is usually employed as bedding plants or in borders.
But the spreading petunias have a trailing habit and are used as ground covers or in hanging baskets.
Different Types of Petunias
- Wave Petunias
- Grandiflora Petunias
- Multiflora Petunias
- Spreading Petunias
- Supertunia Petunias
- Popular Petunia Cultivars
You can find several varieties in petunias, classified based on their color, flower type, and growth habit. Here are some of the most prevalent types:
A. Wave Petunias
These are popular petunias known for their spreading growth habit and colorful, tiny flowers. These have a trailing, prostrate growth habit that reaches up to four feet.
They produce trumpet-shaped, small flowers in various colors, including white, red, purple, and pink. The flowers have a sweet, delicate fragrance and bloom continually across the growing season.
You will see them in hanging baskets, ground covers, or containers. These petunia varieties thrive in well-draining soil and full sun. They can tolerate humidity and heat but need regular watering during dry periods.
They also benefit from regular feeding with balanced plant food. Some of the popular varieties in this category include:
1. Tidal Wave
A. Wave Petunias
These have bright, massive white, purple, and pink flowers. They may grow to two feet tall and about three to four feet wide.
2. Shock Wave
These produce vibrant, small white, purple, and pink flowers. They have a compact growth habit and usually reach a height of six to ten inches.
3. Easy Wave
These kinds of petunias have a spreading growth habit and produce colorful, small flowers in shades of white, red, purple, and pink. They can grow to six to twelve inches. You will find them as ground covers.
4. Double Wave
These have double flowers in white, purple, and pink colors. They have a spreading growth habit and reach six to twelve inches.
These are predominantly employed as ground covers or in hanging baskets, and their unique double blooms add an attractive layer of interest to garden displays.
B. Grandiflora Petunias
Amongst the different types of petunias, Grandiflora Petunias are famous for their showy, large flowers. They have ruffled, large flowers that grow up to five inches in diameter.
You can find them in various colors, including white, red, purple, pink, and bi-color combinations. These have a mounding growth habit and reach 12-15 inches. You will find them in containers, borders, and garden beds.
These types of petunia plants prefer well-draining soil and full sun. Petunia plant care includes regular watering, especially during dry periods. However, please be cautious and do not overwater the plants, as it may lead to root rot.
Grandiflora petunias benefit from regular feeding with a balanced plant feed. Some of the popular petunia varieties in this category include:
Ultra: These have vibrant, large white, red, purple, and pink flowers. They have a mounding growth habit and grow to 10-12 inches.
Dreams
These have frilly, large white, purple, and pink flowers. They have a mounding growth habit and reach 12-15 inches.
Prism:These have ruffled, large white, red, purple, and pink flowers. They have a mounding growth habit and reach 12-15 inches.
Daddy series
These are the different kinds of petunias with ruffled, large pink, purple, and white flowers. Daddy series have a mounding growth habit and reach 12-15 inches.
This variety is famous for its ability to bloom continually across the growing season and its heat tolerance.
C. Multiflora Petunias
These are popular types of petunia plants known for their compact growth habit and profuse blooming. They yield smaller flowers than the wave or Grandiflora petunias.
However, they make up for it with their abundant blooming. You can find these flowers in various colors, including white, red, purple, and pink. They are also available in bi-color combinations.
These have a compact growth habit and reach a height of six to ten inches. They are common in containers, borders, and garden beds.
These petunia species thrive in well-draining soil and full sun. They can endure humidity and heat and need regular watering, especially during dry periods. Multiflora petunias benefit from regular feeding with balanced plant food.
Some of the varieties under this category include:
Celebrity Series
These have abundant, small flowers in purple, red, pink, and white shades. Celebrity Series has a compact growth habit and can reach 8-10 inches. Such varieties are famous for their early flowering and uniform growth.
Petunia Multiflora Mix
These produce a blend of colorful, small flowers in shades of purple, pink, red, and white. They have a compact growth habit and reach 6-8 inches. These kinds of petunias are an excellent pick for adding a pop of color to containers or garden beds.
Prism Sunshine
These petunias have yellow, small flowers with a white center. They have a compact stature and grow to 8-10 inches. It is a unique variety to add a beautiful, sunny appeal to the garden displays.
Mirage: These petunias have delicate, small flowers in shades of white and pink. They have a compact growth habit and reach 8-10 inches. These are an excellent choice for adding an elegant appeal to containers or garden beds.
D. Spreading Petunias
These include different varieties of petunias known for their trailing growth habit and the ability to spread out and cover a vast area. Most people employ them in hanging containers, baskets, or as ground covers in garden beds.
They produce small to mid-sized flowers in various colors, including white, red, purple, pink, and bi-color combinations. The spreading petunias establish a cascading effect. They grow up to 6-12 inches.
Like the other different kinds of petunias, these also thrive in well-draining soil and full sun. They can tolerate drought and heat but need regular watering to keep the soil moist.
The spreading petunias benefit from regular feeding with a balanced fertilizer to support a healthy petunia growth rate and abundant blooming.
Some of the popular petunias under this variety are:
1. Easy Wave Pink Passion
These produce bright pink, mid-sized flowers with a yellow center. The flowers have a trailing growth habit and reach 6-12 inches. Such petunias are easy to grow and yield blooms across the growing season.
2.Supertunia Vista Bubblegum
This variety produces bright, large pink flowers with a white center. It has a trailing growth habit and can grow to 12-24 inches. This variety is known for its abundant blooming pattern and excellent disease resistance.
3. Wave Purple Classic
These produce mid-sized, deep purple flowers. The Wave Purple Classic petunia varieties have a trailing growth habit. They get to 6-12 inches. It is an excellent variety for forming a bold splash of color in garden displays.
4. Tidal Wave Silver
These produce delicate, small flowers in silver and white hues. They have a trailing growth habit and get to a height between 12-24 inches. This variety is excellent for establishing a silvery, unique accent in the garden displays.
E. Supertunia Petunias
These are a popular petunia variety known for their prolific blooming and vigorous growth. The Supertunia Petunias have a trailing or mounding growth and produce plenty of vibrant, large blooms.
They have bi-color, white, red, purple, and pink-hued flowers. The flowers have a distinctive star shape and can grow 6-12 inches. These petunia species enjoy well-drained soil and full sun.
They are drought and heat tolerant and need regular watering to keep the soil moist. Supertunia Petunias benefit from regular feeding with a balanced fertilizer to promote abundant blooming and healthy growth.
From the different types of petunias, we picked the four most popular Supertunia petunias. These include:
1. Supertunia Limoncello: They produce mid-sized, yellow flowers with a green tint. They have a mounding growth habit and can reach 6-12 inches. This variety is known for creating an eye-catching, unique display in containers or garden beds.
2. Supertunia Vista Fuchsia
They produce vibrant, large pink flowers with a white center. These have a trailing growth habit and reach 12-24 inches. The variety is known for its abundant blooming and disease resistance.
3. Supertunia Raspberry Blast: It has mid-sized, bright pink flowers with a darker pink edge and a white center. These petunia species have a mounding growth habit and can be 6-12 inches. These are ideal for creating colorful, bold displays in containers or garden beds.
4. Supertunia White
They produce pure white, large flowers with a yellow center. The Supertunia White has a mounding growth habit and can reach 6-12 inches. This variety is known for creating an elegant, classic display in containers or garden beds.
F. Popular Petunia Cultivars
Some of the most popular petunia hybrid cultivators include:
- Flash Mob Bluerific: Bright blue flowers with high heat tolerance and a trailing habit,
- Picnic White: Pure white flowers with a compact pattern.
- Crazytunia Mandevilla: Vibrant pink flowers with a trailing habit and a yellow center
- Easy Wave Blue: Medium blue flowers with a spreading habit
- Headliner Blueberry Swirl: Deep purple, blue, large flowers with a white star pattern
- Night Sky: Deep purple flowers with white speckles resembling stars
- Supercascade Red: Bright red flowers with a cascading habit
- Sanguna Radiant Blue: Large, bright blue flowers with a mounding habit
- Black Velvet: Velvety black flowers with a mounding habit
So, these are the most popular petunia cultivars that you can go for.
What Petunias Are Best For Hanging Baskets?
Petunias are an excellent selection for hanging baskets because of their prolific blooms and trailing habit.
Some of the petunias that are ideal for hanging baskets include:
- Wave Petuniashave a cascading growth habit and come in various colors.
- Supertunia Vista petuniashave large flowers and a mounding-trailing habit, making them excellent for hanging baskets.
- Tidal Wave Petunias: These have a spreading habit and are suitable for bigger hanging baskets.
- Surfinia Petunias: These have a trailing habit and yield a profusion of brightly colored, small flowers
- Cascadias Petunias: These are known for their trailing, long stems. They come in various colors.
When choosing the petunias for the hanging baskets, prefer the varieties suitable for your growing conditions and climates.
Further, consider the shape and size of the hanging baskets and pick those that will fit nicely sans seeming overcrowded.
What Are The New Petunia Varieties For 2023?
Some of the new varieties include:
- Tea Indigo Vein Beekenkamp
- Headliner Enchanted Sky Selecta One
- Hells Forge Westhoff
- Crazytunia Mayan Sunset Westhoff
- Sanguna Banana Candy Syngenta Flowers
- Vogue Double Series Ball Floraplant
- Supertunia Vista Jazzberry Proven Winners
- Blanket Silver Surprise Green Fuse Botanicals
Related: How long do the flowers take to bloom? | Different types of flower
How To Choose The Right Type Of Petunia For Your Garden?
From the different types of petunias, picking the suitable variety for your garden will depend on factors like sun exposure, soil type, personal preferences, and climate.
Here are some tips that can help you pick the correct kind of petunia for the garden:
- Consider the climate: Different petunias have different cold and heat tolerance. Wave petunias are particularly famous for their heat tolerance and are an excellent pick for hot weather, whereas Grandiflora and multiflora petunias are suited for cooler temperatures.
- Determine sun exposure: Petunias need at least six hours of sun every day. So if you have a sunny garden, you can plant all kinds of petunia varieties, and they will thrive. However, if you have a shady garden, opt for Surfinia petunias or spreading petunias.
- Pick the right size: Petunias are available in various sizes, from trailing to compact. Select a size apt for your garden space.
- Consider the soil type: Petunias cherish acidic, well-draining soil. Plant petunias in raised beds or containers if the soil is heavy.
- Select patterns and colors that complement the garden: Petunias come in various colors and patterns. So, pick colors that complement your garden colors and try mixing different petunias for added appeal.
Your petunias can have a healthy lifespan if you choose a variety meant for your location and soil type.