Petunias are some of the most well-liked flower species in the world for a few different reasons. For starters, these plants are typically incredibly easy to care for.
All they need is a little water and they should have no problem growing. Other than that, they produce delicate, trumpet-shaped flowers in many colors.
Because of that, these plants can liven up any space you add them to. On top of that, petunias come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
There are a few varieties, each with a unique physical appearance. So, if you’re interested in learning more about petunia types, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the flowers. I’ll also cover some of the most common varieties.
Are Petunias Annuals or Perennials?
Technically, Petunias are perennials from the Nightshade family that are native to South America. That means these plants will sprout flowers in the spring.
Then, when the weather gets colder, the delicate petals will wilt and fade away. For a few months, your petunias will look dormant and almost gone.
Yet, as soon as spring comes back around, they’ll bloom new flowers.
Although, there are a few petunia species that act like annuals. That’s because they’ll only bloom for one season and then quickly fade away.
This may be due to poor growing conditions. For instance, if the temperature drops significantly, your petunias may frost over and struggle to stay alive.
What Colors Are Petunias?
One of the best aspects of growing petunias is that the flowers come in all sorts of stunning shades.
Right off the bat, petunias typically grow vibrant pink or purple flowers. They have trumpet-shaped petals that resemble tiny bells swaying in the wind.
These can add a delicate pop of color to any space.
Besides that, there are a few common petunia shades. That includes:
- Yellow
- Coral
- White
- Red
- Crimson red
- Lilac
- Lavender
You should be able to find all these different colors at your local garden center.
Moving on, there are a couple of petunia shades that are a bit rare. For example, you can find bold blue petunias in the wild.
This shade is particularly unusual because it’s due to a genetic mutation. It happens when there’s a molecular defect in the system that controls the acidity of plant cells.
So, this shade may be a little difficult to find.
Finally, deep black petunias are the rarest color of all. There are only a few of these flowers growing in the world, and they can be exceptionally tough to get your hands on.
Are All Petunias Trailing?
We can classify a few petunia species as trailing plants. That’s because they don’t produce any upright branches and focus on growing horizontally instead.
The plants will trail over the edge of pots or hanging baskets rather than growing up towards the sun.
Because of that, these petunias make excellent ground covers or foreground planting.
Yet, not all petunia species are trailing plants. Some are compact and bushy.
These florae will grow upright and can reach heights of about four feet tall with the proper care. They also tend to have dense foliage with long and narrow leaves.
Petunia Types
We can classify all petunia types into six different categories. Each one has a unique set of characteristics.
In this section, I’ll discuss these groups and what makes them special.
1 – Multiflora
Multiflora is one of the most common varieties of petunias. They have a long history that dates back to the 1950s.
These plants grow many small flowers between spring and fall. They can grow as single or double blooms.
Plus, each flower is only about two inches wide and they present the largest range of colors among petunias.
Moving on, multiflora petunias can grow to about 12 inches tall and spread out another 15 inches. Because of that, the plants can fill up almost any space.
That makes them ideal for garden beds and flowering pots. They can create a big splash of color that brightens up your garden.
Yet, the stems of this variety can be a little flimsy. So, you may have to prune these plants often to stop them from looking leggy.
2 – Grandiflora
Grandiflora petunias don’t produce as many blooms as multiflora. Yet, they more than makeup for it with the size of the flowers.
Usually, a grandiflora petunia bloom will reach about three to five inches wide. In addition, some petals have a ruffled or fringed appearance.
This makes for an exceptionally showy display.
For that reason, if you’re looking for a bold flower, with large, colorful petals, grandiflora petunias are the way to go.
Plus, these flowers also come in various shades.
Besides that, just like multiflora, these plants can grow single or double blooms. The blooms will keep climbing until they reach a height of around 24 inches and spread to about 36 inches.
That’s almost twice the size of a multiflora.
Because of that, these plants tend to be a bit more sturdy. Yet, they don’t stand up well to hard rain.
Since they have larger petals, grandiflora petunias are fragile against a strong downpour of water. So, if you live in a particularly rainy area, this variety may not be ideal for you.
On top of that, grandifloras will require deadheading to stay in tip-top condition.
3 – Floribunda
Floribunda flowers are a cross between grandiflora and multiflora petunias. Because of that, you’ll get the best of both worlds.
For starters, the word floribunda usually refers to a type of plant that grows a dense cluster of flowers. These plants can grow both large and small blooms.
So, you’ll get a wonderful display with varying heights to give your garden a more interesting appearance.
Other than that, floribundas grow to about 15 inches tall and 12 inches wide. That means they’re a little more compact than grandiflora.
For that reason, these plants are perfect for any indoor space.
Moving on, with the variation in flower size, floribunda plants can typically withstand rain. Plus, they have advanced immunity systems, which means they can resist many diseases.
However, these plants aren’t self-cleaning. You’ll have to deadhead the flowers to ensure your florae stay healthy.
Although, this will depend on the type of floribunda you grow.
For example, the wave series is a special type of these plants. They don’t need pruning or deadheading, but can’t tolerate high temperatures.
4 – Milliflora
Milliflora petunias are miniature, compact plants that produce countless flowers every season. The blooms are typically only one or one and a half inches wide.
As you can tell, this makes them the smallest petunia variety. Yet, what they lack in size, the plants more than makeup for it in numbers.
Milliflora petunias grow hundreds of tiny flowers that can stay in bloom for weeks.
Even though these plants are relatively recent introductions, they’ve made quite a splash. Gardeners from all over the world prefer to grow this variety of petunias for a few reasons.
First up, they don’t require much care or maintenance. You won’t have to prune or deadhead milliflora.
Other than that, the plants don’t need much space to grow. Because of that, you can space the bloom about four inches apart.
This will leave you with a fuller garden.
5 – Cascadia (Trailing)
As I mentioned, there are a few petunias that we can classify as trailing plants. We call this category Cascadia.
These florae tend to grow close to the ground. In fact, the tallest variety reaches just under six inches tall.
Instead, these plants focus most of their resources on spreading out. They’ll branch out horizontally and grow at an incredibly speedy rate.
On average, a single Cascadia petunia can cover about 10 square feet of ground in one growing season.
Plus, the florae can tolerate heat and drought. This makes them one of the sturdier varieties on the list.
For these reasons, these plants are perfect for foreground planting.
6 – Supertunia Petunias
Supertunias are a special breed of petunias with distinct characteristics. For starters, the flowers are about two inches wide and the plant can grow to around 12 inches tall.
So, at first glance, they may resemble multiflora. Yet, there are quite a few differences.
For example, Supertunias have shorter stems that grow more leaves. Because of that, the plants are much more efficient at carrying out photosynthesis.
That means they can support the growth of more flowers.
Besides that, the plants have an exceptionally fast growth rate. However, to maintain steady development, you have to fertilize Supertunias often.
Typically, once a month should do the trick.
Lastly, Supertunias are heat-tolerant and can withstand harsh conditions.
Final Thoughts
There are a few different petunia types, each one with special physical characteristics. Right off the bat, multiflora petunias are the most common.
They grow average-sized flowers that come in a rainbow of shades.
Other than that, there’s the grandiflora variety. These plants grow larger blooms, but fewer flowers.
Moving on, a few other common petunia types are floribunda, milliflora, and Cascadia.
Finally, Supertunias are a special type of petunias with shorter stems and more leaves. Because of that, these plants are exceptionally resilient to the elements.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.