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Petunia, Genus, ×, Hybrid, atkinsiana, Species,

Genus & species
Hybrid

garden petunia

Solanaceae

Hybrid of garden origin; parents from southern South America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Attracts Hummingbirds Fragrant (light)Container Friendly

SunFull Sun

WaterMedium

Overview

Petunia × atkinsiana is a hybrid grown as a warm-season annual, forming a mounded to trailing plant 6-16 inches (15-40 cm) tall and 12-36 inches (30-90 cm) wide depending on the cultivar group. Stems and oval leaves are soft and sticky with glandular hairs. Funnel-shaped flowers 1.5-4 inches (4-10 cm) across open continuously from late spring until frost; flower color spans white, pink, red, purple, blue, yellow, and bicolor patterns across the many cultivars. This hybrid arose from crosses between Petunia axillaris and Petunia integrifolia. Plants flower heavily in warmth and full sun and slow in cool, cloudy weather. Spent flowers turn to small capsules of numerous tiny seeds. Stems can grow leggy by midsummer without trimming, and rain damages the thin petals of large-flowered types. In frost-free climates the plant persists as a short-lived tender perennial.

Native Range

A hybrid of garden origin not found in the wild. Its parent species, Petunia axillaris and Petunia integrifolia, are native to southern South America, mainly Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil, where they grow in open grassland and disturbed ground.

Suggested Uses

Used in containers, hanging baskets, window boxes, and bedding displays, spaced 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) apart. Trailing types are grown to spill over the edges of baskets and walls. The need for frequent watering and feeding in containers and the cold sensitivity limit it to the frost-free part of the year.

How to Identify

Recognized by funnel-shaped flowers 1.5-4 inches (4-10 cm) across in a wide color range, borne on soft, sticky, glandular-hairy stems with oval leaves. The large funnel flowers and sticky foliage separate garden petunias from Calibrachoa, which has similar form but flowers under 1.5 inches (4 cm) across.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height6" - 1'4"

Width/Spread1' - 3'

Colors

Flower Colors

red

Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~22 weeks

Flowers: May–October

Spring Summer Fall

Flowers open from late spring through the first hard frost in temperate gardens, and nearly year-round in frost-free climates. Bloom is continuous in warm, sunny weather and slows during cool or heavily overcast spells. Removing spent flowers and trimming leggy stems keeps new flowers coming.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

White, pink, red, purple, blue, yellow, or bicolor

Foliage Description

Green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 6.5 (Acidic to neutral)

3579

Soil Types

loam sand

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil or potting mix, with at least six hours of direct sun for full bloom. Water when the top inch (2.5 cm) of soil dries; container plants may need daily water in heat. Feed every 1-2 weeks with a balanced fertilizer, since petunias use heavy nutrients in containers. Pinch or shear leggy stems by one-third in midsummer to renew growth and flowering. Botrytis and root rot develop in cool, wet, crowded conditions. Aphids, budworms, and slugs feed on the soft growth.

Pruning

Pinch young plants once or twice to encourage branching. Shear back by about one-third in midsummer when stems grow leggy to bring on a new flush of bloom. Cut off spent flowers and developing seed pods through the season to keep flowering steady.