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Petunia
Petunia
Petunia blooms from May through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Petunia
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. Expect it to reach about 12 in tall and 16 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Petunia
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Petunia into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from May to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Petunia get?
12 intall5 ft 7 inan adult16 inwideSee Petunia in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Petunia
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Petunia about 16 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Petunia to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Petunia's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 6 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finder (Petunia (group))height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenPetunia 'Ustuni6001' SUPERTUNIA VISTA BUBBLEGUMheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionPetunia x hybridaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterPetuniaheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- University of Florida IFASUF/IFAS Extension Gardening Solutions (Petunias)height, spread, sun and trait tags
- Proven WinnersPetuniahardiness zones, sun and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 13 varieties across 6 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Petunias group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | Blue | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
| Burgundy | Red | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
| Coral | Orange | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
| Night Sky | Purple | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
| Petuniathis page | Purple | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
| Pink | Pink | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
| Purple | Purple | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
| Purple Wave | Purple | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 0.5 ft × 2.5 ft |
| Red | Red | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
| Salmon | Pink | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
| Star | Pink | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
| Supertunia Vista Bubblegum | Pink | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 16 in × 24 in |
| White | White | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
| Yellow | Yellow | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
Good to know about Petunia
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Despite belonging to the nightshade family, petunia is non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with no toxic principle. Heavy nibbling may still cause mild, passing stomach upset. per ASPCA and NC State
Deadheading depends on type
Big-flowered grandifloras and doubles need regular deadheading to keep blooming; modern spreading, Wave and milliflora types are self-cleaning and need little or none. per Clemson
Watch for tobacco budworm
Round holes in buds that then fail to open point to tobacco budworm caterpillars; handpick them in the evening in small plantings. per Colorado State
Revive leggy summer plants
When plants stretch and go leggy by midsummer, cut the stems back by about half, then feed and water for a fresh flush of bloom. per Clemson
Sticky leaves are normal
The sticky, hairy feel of petunia stems and leaves is a normal glandular trait, not a pest or disease sign; it just catches dust. per NC State
Mixed pollinator ancestry
It descends from a night-scented, moth-pollinated white species and a bee-pollinated purple one, so it draws moths, bees, hummingbirds and butterflies, varying by cultivar. per PubMed Central and NC State
What pairs well with Petunia
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Joe Pye Weed
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage; taller at 6 ft, for the layer behind it.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage; taller at 5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage.
Winterberry
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; overlaps, then carries the display into early winter; both offer pollinator forage; stands well above at 6.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
Windflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Hyacinth
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Lilac
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; stands well above at 10 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; echoes the purple.
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