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Flower Full Sun Regular water

Petunia

Written by the GrowByCity Editorial Team · Updated April 2026
2 min read

Prolific trailing annual. A warmth-loving plant that does best between 15°C and 25°C, petunia adapts well to tropical and subtropical conditions but cannot tolerate frost. Plant in a spot with full sun (6-8 hours of direct light daily) and provide regular watering to keep soil consistently moist. Expect blooms in approximately 55-70 days. Valued as much for its cut-flower potential as for its garden presence — stems last well in a vase.

Harvest 55-70 days
Temp Range 5°C — 32°C

Quick Answer: How to Grow Petunia

Petunia takes 55-70 days to harvest. It grows best in 15–25°C with full sun and regular watering. Petunia is not frost tolerant — wait until after the last frost to plant. It can be grown in 350 cities worldwide.

Find the best time to plant Petunia in your city →

Growing Requirements

☀️
Sun
Full Sun
💧
Water
Regular
❄️
Frost
Sensitive
📅
Harvest
55-70 days

Temperature Range

15-25°C
-10°C 45°C
Optimal: 15–25°C Tolerates: 5–32°C
Tropical suitable: Yes
Cities growing: 350 of 350

Growing Tips

💡

Expert Tips

Deadhead or use self-cleaning varieties. Feed weekly for best blooms. Wait until soil warms to at least 15°C before transplanting outdoors — cold soil stunts growth and can invite root rot. Aim for about 2.5 cm of water per week, adjusting for rainfall. Organic mulch around the base helps maintain even moisture.

Quick Facts

  • Grows in 350 of 350 cities
  • Available in 7 regions worldwide
  • Temperature range: 5°C to 32°C
  • Optimal growing: 15°C to 25°C
  • Harvest in 55-70 days

Did You Know?

  • 🌱 Petunia loves the heat! It thrives in tropical and subtropical climates year-round.
  • 🌱 Petunia needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth.

Step-by-Step Growing Guide

Petunias are tender perennials grown as warm-season annuals, ideal for hanging baskets, window boxes, and container displays. Start seeds indoors 10–12 weeks before last frost — they require light to germinate; press seeds on the surface of moist, fine-textured seed compost and keep at 24°C. Germination takes 10–12 days. More reliably, purchase transplants. After the last frost, plant in well-drained, moderately fertile soil with pH 6.0–7.0 in a full-sun location. Spacing depends on type: upright grandifloras 30cm; spreading/Wave types 30–90cm. Petunias are medium feeders — apply a slow-release balanced fertilizer at planting and supplement with liquid high-potassium feed every 1–2 weeks during peak flowering season. Water regularly but allow to partially dry between waterings. Deadhead grandifloras regularly; Multiflora types are more self-cleaning. Cut back trailing types by half midseason if they become leggy.

Common Pests & Problems

Botrytis blight (Botrytis cinerea) is the most common petunia problem in cool, wet weather — gray fuzzy mold on spent flowers that spreads to healthy tissue; remove dead flowers immediately and improve airflow around containers. Tobacco budworm (Chloridea virescens) is a devastating caterpillar pest that bores into flower buds from the inside, consuming them before they open — the primary pest of petunias in warm-climate gardens; apply Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) spray at first sign of damage and inspect nightly with a flashlight. Petunia vein-clearing virus causes dramatic yellowing of veins in a striking but damaging pattern — aphid-transmitted with no cure; remove infected plants.

Harvest & Storage

Petunias are grown for ornamental bloom, not for harvest. To maximize and extend the blooming period, deadhead spent flowers continuously before they set seed — each seed pod formed signals the plant to reduce flower production. For seed saving (open-pollinated varieties only — not hybrids), allow selected blooms to fade naturally and form green capsules. Harvest dry capsules before they split, dry indoors, and store seeds in a cool, dry location. Petunia seeds are extremely small and dust-like — store in labeled paper envelopes inside a sealed container with silica gel.

Popular Varieties

"Wave" series revolutionized petunia use in containers — incredibly vigorous trailing types that spread 90–120cm, self-clean without deadheading, and bloom continuously without midseason shearing. "Supertunia" (Proven Winners) series are aggressive spreaders with a wider color range and exceptional heat tolerance — commercial basket standard. "Night Sky" is a stunning novelty variety with deep purple flowers randomly speckled with white dots mimicking a starfield — a real conversation piece. "Prism" series offers upright, compact plants with large flowers and excellent weather tolerance — outstanding for bedding and formal displays.

Where to Grow Petunia

Petunia can be grown in 350 cities across 7 regions worldwide

🌍 Europe (80 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Aarhus, DK medium
Amsterdam, NL medium
Ankara, TR medium
Antalya, TR medium
Athens, GR medium
Barcelona, ES medium
Bari, IT medium
Belgrade, RS medium
Bergen, NO medium
Berlin, DE medium
Bilbao, ES medium
Bologna, IT medium
Bordeaux, FR medium
Bratislava, SK medium
Brussels, BE medium
Bucharest, RO medium
Budapest, HU medium
Catania, IT medium
Cologne, DE medium
Copenhagen, DK medium
Corfu, GR medium
Cork, IE medium
Dublin, IE medium
Dubrovnik, HR medium
Edinburgh, GB medium
Florence, IT medium
Frankfurt, DE medium
Gdansk, PL medium
Genoa, IT medium
Glasgow, GB medium
Gothenburg, SE medium
Hamburg, DE medium
Helsinki, FI medium
Heraklion, GR medium
Istanbul, TR medium
Izmir, TR medium
Krakow, PL medium
Kyiv, UA medium
Limassol, CY medium
Lisbon, PT medium
Ljubljana, SI medium
London, GB medium
Lyon, FR medium
Madrid, ES medium
Malaga, ES medium
Marseille, FR medium
Milan, IT medium
Munich, DE medium
Naples, IT medium
Nice, FR medium
Nicosia, CY medium
Oslo, NO medium
Palermo, IT medium
Paris, FR medium
Porto, PT medium
Poznan, PL medium
Prague, CZ medium
Reykjavik, IS medium
Riga, LV medium
Rome, IT medium
Seville, ES medium
Sofia, BG medium
Split, HR medium
Stockholm, SE medium
Strasbourg, FR medium
Stuttgart, DE medium
Tallinn, EE medium
Thessaloniki, GR medium
Tirana, AL medium
Toulouse, FR medium
Turin, IT medium
Turku, FI medium
Valencia, ES medium
Valletta, MT medium
Verona, IT medium
Vienna, AT medium
Vilnius, LT medium
Warsaw, PL medium
Zagreb, HR medium
Zurich, CH medium

🌏 Asia (79 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Ahmedabad, IN medium
Almaty, KZ medium
Bali, ID medium
Bandung, ID medium
Bangalore, IN medium
Bangkok, TH medium
Beijing, CN medium
Busan, KR medium
Cebu, PH medium
Chandigarh, IN medium
Chengdu, CN medium
Chennai, IN medium
Chiang Mai, TH medium
Chittagong, BD medium
Chongqing, CN medium
Coimbatore, IN medium
Colombo, LK medium
Da Nang, VN medium
Dalian, CN medium
Davao, PH medium
Delhi, IN medium
Dhaka, BD medium
Dharan, NP medium
Fukuoka, JP medium
Galle, LK medium
Guangzhou, CN medium
Hangzhou, CN medium
Hanoi, VN medium
Harbin, CN medium
Ho Chi Minh City, VN medium
Hong Kong, HK medium
Hyderabad, IN medium
Incheon, KR medium
Indore, IN medium
Islamabad, PK medium
Jaipur, IN medium
Jakarta, ID medium
Jeju, KR medium
Johor Bahru, MY medium
Karachi, PK medium
Kathmandu, NP medium
Kochi, IN medium
Kolkata, IN medium
Kuala Lumpur, MY medium
Kunming, CN medium
Kyoto, JP medium
Lahore, PK medium
Lucknow, IN medium
Manila, PH medium
Mumbai, IN medium
Nagoya, JP medium
Nanjing, CN medium
Nha Trang, VN medium
Okinawa, JP medium
Osaka, JP medium
Pattaya, TH medium
Penang, MY medium
Phnom Penh, KH medium
Pune, IN medium
Sapporo, JP medium
Seoul, KR medium
Shanghai, CN medium
Shenzhen, CN medium
Siem Reap, KH medium
Singapore, SG medium
Surabaya, ID medium
Surat, IN medium
Taipei, TW medium
Tashkent, UZ medium
Tbilisi, GE medium
Tokyo, JP medium
Ulaanbaatar, MN medium
Varanasi, IN medium
Vientiane, LA medium
Visakhapatnam, IN medium
Wuhan, CN medium
Xi'an, CN medium
Xiamen, CN medium
Yangon, MM medium

🌎 North America (78 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Albuquerque, US medium
Anchorage, US medium
Atlanta, US medium
Austin, US medium
Baltimore, US medium
Baton Rouge, US medium
Boise, US medium
Boston, US medium
Bridgetown, BB medium
Buffalo, US medium
Calgary, CA medium
Cancun, MX medium
Charleston, US medium
Charlotte, US medium
Chattanooga, US medium
Chicago, US medium
Denver, US medium
Des Moines, US medium
Detroit, US medium
Edmonton, CA medium
El Paso, US medium
Fargo, US medium
Fresno, US medium
Guadalajara, MX medium
Halifax, CA medium
Hartford, US medium
Havana, CU medium
Honolulu, US medium
Houston, US medium
Jacksonville, US medium
Kansas City, US medium
Kingston, JM medium
Knoxville, US medium
Las Vegas, US medium
Little Rock, US medium
Los Angeles, US medium
Louisville, US medium
Lubbock, US medium
Madison, US medium
Memphis, US medium
Mexico City, MX medium
Miami, US medium
Milwaukee, US medium
Minneapolis, US medium
Monterrey, MX medium
Montreal, CA medium
Nashville, US medium
New Orleans, US medium
New York, US medium
Oaxaca, MX medium
Oklahoma City, US medium
Omaha, US medium
Ottawa, CA medium
Panama City, PA medium
Phoenix, US medium
Pittsburgh, US medium
Portland, US medium
Puebla, MX medium
Quebec City, CA medium
Raleigh, US medium
Richmond, US medium
Sacramento, US medium
Salt Lake City, US medium
San Diego, US medium
San Francisco, US medium
San Jose, CR medium
Santo Domingo, DO medium
Saskatoon, CA medium
Savannah, US medium
Seattle, US medium
Spokane, US medium
St. Louis, US medium
Tampa, US medium
Toronto, CA medium
Tucson, US medium
Vancouver, CA medium
Victoria, CA medium
Winnipeg, CA medium

🌍 Africa (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abidjan, CI medium
Accra, GH medium
Addis Ababa, ET medium
Algiers, DZ medium
Antananarivo, MG medium
Arusha, TZ medium
Bamako, ML medium
Bloemfontein, ZA medium
Cairo, EG medium
Cape Town, ZA medium
Casablanca, MA medium
Dakar, SN medium
Dar es Salaam, TZ medium
Douala, CM medium
Durban, ZA medium
Entebbe, UG medium
Fez, MA medium
Freetown, SL medium
Harare, ZW medium
Johannesburg, ZA medium
Kampala, UG medium
Kigali, RW medium
Kinshasa, CD medium
Lagos, NG medium
Libreville, GA medium
Lilongwe, MW medium
Lome, TG medium
Luanda, AO medium
Lusaka, ZM medium
Maputo, MZ medium
Marrakech, MA medium
Mombasa, KE medium
Nairobi, KE medium
Ouagadougou, BF medium
Port Louis, MU medium
Pretoria, ZA medium
Tunis, TN medium
Windhoek, NA medium
Zanzibar, TZ medium

🌎 South America (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Arequipa, PE medium
Asuncion, PY medium
Barranquilla, CO medium
Belem, BR medium
Bogota, CO medium
Brasilia, BR medium
Buenos Aires, AR medium
Cali, CO medium
Campinas, BR medium
Caracas, VE medium
Cartagena, CO medium
Concepcion, CL medium
Cordoba, AR medium
Curitiba, BR medium
Cusco, PE medium
Fortaleza, BR medium
Georgetown, GY medium
Goiania, BR medium
Guayaquil, EC medium
La Paz, BO medium
Lima, PE medium
Manaus, BR medium
Medellin, CO medium
Mendoza, AR medium
Montevideo, UY medium
Paramaribo, SR medium
Port of Spain, TT medium
Porto Alegre, BR medium
Quito, EC medium
Recife, BR medium
Rio de Janeiro, BR medium
Rosario, AR medium
Salvador, BR medium
Santa Cruz, BO medium
Santiago, CL medium
Sao Paulo, BR medium
Sucre, BO medium
Trujillo, PE medium
Valparaiso, CL medium

🌊 Oceania (19 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Adelaide, AU medium
Alice Springs, AU medium
Auckland, NZ medium
Brisbane, AU medium
Cairns, AU medium
Canberra, AU medium
Christchurch, NZ medium
Darwin, AU medium
Dunedin, NZ medium
Gold Coast, AU medium
Hamilton, NZ medium
Hobart, AU medium
Melbourne, AU medium
Noumea, NC medium
Perth, AU medium
Suva, FJ medium
Sydney, AU medium
Townsville, AU medium
Wellington, NZ medium

🕌 Middle East (16 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abu Dhabi, AE medium
Amman, JO medium
Baghdad, IQ medium
Beirut, LB medium
Doha, QA medium
Dubai, AE medium
Erbil, IQ medium
Jeddah, SA medium
Kuwait City, KW medium
Manama, BH medium
Muscat, OM medium
Riyadh, SA medium
Sana'a, YE medium
Tabriz, IR medium
Tehran, IR medium
Tel Aviv, IL medium

When should I plant petunia in my city?

The best time to plant petunia depends on your local climate zone. It thrives in temperatures between 15°C and 25°C. Wait until after the last frost in your area. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact dates.

Can I grow petunia in winter?

Petunia is not frost tolerant and cannot survive winter outdoors in most temperate climates. In tropical areas (USDA Zones 10+), it may grow year-round.

Get Petunia Seeds & Plants

Ready to start growing? Find Petunia seeds and starter plants online.

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Similar Growing Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions about Petunia

When should I plant petunia?

The best time to plant petunia depends on your local climate. Petunia grows best in temperatures between 15°C and 25°C (can tolerate 5°C to 32°C). Petunia is not frost tolerant, so wait until after the last frost in your area. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact planting months.

Can petunia grow in tropical climates?

Yes! Petunia can grow in tropical climates. It's successfully grown in tropical cities like Abidjan, Abu Dhabi, Accra. Petunia requires full sun and regular watering.

How long does petunia take to grow?

Petunia typically takes 55-70 days from planting to harvest. It requires full sun and regular watering. Deadhead or use self-cleaning varieties. Feed weekly for best blooms. Wait until soil warms to at least 15°C before transplanting outdoors — cold soil stunts growth and can invite root rot. Aim for about 2.5 cm of water per week, adjusting for rainfall. Organic mulch around the base helps maintain even moisture.

Find the Best Time to Plant Petunia

See the planting calendar for Petunia in these popular cities:

Last updated: March 2026 · Climate data from NOAA, FAO, USDA

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