By Kelsey Deckert, Horticulture agent

NDSU Extension - Burleigh County

We all have our favorite flowers that, despite not being perennials, we plant in our gardens every year. The number one flower that I plant each year is petunias. I consider them the “tried and true” flowers of my garden. The meaning of “tried and true” is proven good, desirable or known to be reliable.

Gardeners who plant petunias know they are easy to grow and require minimal maintenance, which are top priorities for me. What I most admire about petunias is their ability to spread. I have a tiered raised bed, and I love that I can plant a few petunias that will completely cover each tier and serve as a focal point of my yard. Another aspect of petunias that makes them a popular flower is that they bloom from spring up until frost. Talk about a showstopper!

Petunias need five to six hours of sunlight, but they do best in full sun all day. They tolerate a lot of heat and don’t require much water. Petunias benefit from fertilizing every few weeks and deadheading.

There are hundreds of petunia varieties to choose from. Petunias fall into different categories based on their growth habit and flower size: grandiflora, multiflora, milliflora and spreading types. 

Grandiflora produce the largest flowers (about 5 inches across) that can be a single or a double flower. They have fewer flowers than the other types, and their blooms don’t hold up the best in wet weather. Common grandiflora varieties are Dreams, Ultra, Supercascade and Storm Series. 

Multiflora have smaller flowers that, again, can be a single or a double flower that are 1-2 inches wide. They produce more flowers than grandiflora and are generally more compact. They do better in wet weather and work well in mass plantings. Popular varieties are Celebrity, Carpet, Madness and Hurrah Series.

Milliflora have miniature flowers that are 1-1.5 inches wide. They work well for containers and edging in a flower bed. Fantasy and Picobella Series are popular choices.

Spreading petunias are varieties that grow quickly and fill large spaces. They are low-growing and withstand drought and heat very well. The Wave Series is the most popular of spreading petunias.

I look forward to taking my time in the greenhouse, thoroughly selecting petunias for my garden each spring. Nothing beats seeing the colors and variations of the flowers. When selecting petunias from a greenhouse, select vibrant, stocky, compact plants. Tall and spindly petunias will take longer to recover from transplanting shock in the garden. Once in the garden, sit back and enjoy these tried-and-true flowers all summer long.

For more information about petunias, contact your local NDSU Extension agent. Find the Extension office for your county at www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/extension-county-offices.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – April 7, 2026

Source: Kelsey Deckert, 701-221-6865, kelsey.j.deckert@ndsu.edu

Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-5546, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu