WILD PETUNIA SEEDS

Petunia integrifolia

The mother of all garden petunias, Petunia integrifolia, sometimes listed as P. violacea, is an obvious progenitor, having contributed the flower shape and rambling habit to most modern hybrids. The color of P. integrifolia is an almost impossibly saturated magenta, with a dark purple throat that gives impressive dimension to this relatively small flower.

In the garden or in a container, this species seems to have a mounding habit initially, but will eventually snake its way through neighboring plants and down the sides of containers, blooming relentlessly all the while. It is adaptable and resilient in all garden soils. It makes an excellent companion for dwarf tomatoes grown in pots on the patio.

Easy to grow from seed: several weeks before the last frost, press seeds into moist soil and mist with warm water. Cover tightly with plastic to maintain moisture. Kept warm (75°F) and moist in bright light, seeds will germinate in a week or two. Remove plastic once several seeds have germinated, but keep warm and in bright light. Prick out and transplant to individual containers or cells once seedlings have two sets of true leaves. Maintain warmth and bright light until transplanting outdoors well after the last frost. Pinch young plants to encourage mounding habit. They are precocious and tend to bloom for me before I've had the chance to move them outdoors, even without the benefit of fertilizer.

Packet contains around 500 seeds.