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Petunia
Habit (mature) · Marek Kluszczyński / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Limited coverage
Petunia
Petunia x atkinsiana
The garden petunia is a complex Brazilian-derived hybrid in the nightshade family, grown almost everywhere as a warm-season bedding annual for its funnel-shaped, often fragrant flowers in nearly every color except true brown and black. Missouri Botanical Garden ranks it second only to impatiens in annual bedding-plant sales, prized for non-stop bloom from late spring until frost. It is a tender perennial hardy only in USDA Zones 10-11, so most of North America treats it as a single-season annual.
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: narrow (23/100)
Border
Container
Filler
Light
Full sun / Part shade
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
9-12" tall · 12" apart
Lifecycle
True annual (one season)
Summer heat range
Warm-Extreme
warm to extreme summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Won't grow here
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Won't grow here
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Out of range today and still out of range in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Petunia (Petunia x atkinsiana). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/petunia
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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