I did not know Annuals did this:

18 years ago

I thought Annuals only lasted one season or one year, but the petunias I planted last Autumn have kind of come alive they have lots of green leaves on them so does that mean they will flower as well. I remember pulling some of them out just before Christmas but there were a couple in front of the poinsettia and because it has increased it's size from 30x30cms to 150x150cms I did not see them so maybe because those couple of petunias have spent the warmer months under the shade they will live longer, I always cut them back after flowering and did that twice to these two then they got lost..Is this normal for Annuals to do this or not....Cheers..MM.

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pamfrommd

17 years ago

In the summer of 1996 my mother planted some pink petunias in a flower pot and put it on her deck. Winter came and the pot sat on the deck, exposed to our typical Washington, DC weather: snow, sleet, lots of nights w/ temps well under 32 degrees. My mom died in March 1997. In May of 1997 my dad noticed that green leaves were sprouting in the pot, and by June the pot was full of pink petunias. We pinched back the dead flowers but did nothing else to the pot. The next June we had another full pot of pink flowers. It's been that way every year since then. Sometimes I wonder if my mom is overseeing these Perennial Petunias from afar.

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Comments (13)

Liatris
18 years ago
MM, to my understanding, petunias are not true annuals.
mistymorn
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks Pam I did not know that, any wonder they are doing so well...Cheers....MM.
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goldhills
18 years ago
Petunias are treated as annuals as they start to look ratty after a while but given a good haircut and they soon come on again.
koeksoetie
18 years ago
I have white petunias in pots - been growing for 2 years, even through frost. They said on their label that they were perennial petunias. When I commented on this to the nursey owner, he said that all petunias were potentially perennial given the right environment.
alisonoz_gw
18 years ago
Yes I guess given our big climatic differences some things are described as annual that actually will make it through a second or more season - and self-seed in the process. Petunias can survive a big hair-cut and regrow nicely.
tsunami2
18 years ago
I treat them as annuals here its starting to get quiet cool in the night and I have just pulled out whatever remained of them in the weekend. Last month i thought i gave it the hair cut treatment While some of the did bounce back alittle greener It still grew kinda stringy and not as dense and green as before. Better treated as annuals for me.
mistymorn
Original Author
17 years ago
What a beautiful Story maybe your mother is looking after them.
I hope they flower forever....Cheers..MM.
lorraine_b
17 years ago
Hi MM well down here in vic (the cold mountain area)I always cut my petuinas back and usually get 3 years out of the same plant sometimes longer,I give them a good haircut a couple of times a year and they are fine, if you look in some cottage garden books you will see that petunias arent really annuals mine were covered in snow last winter for 3 days and are still flowering now and dont look like slowing down at all must send you an email ,frangiipani are growing great,
LORRAINE
mistymorn
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks Lorraine ::: I am so pleased to hear that those franny sticks are growing *Thats Wonderful*

Maybe the Petunias dont like the warmer weather so many things have to be grown as annuals here, these Petunias are in the shade now as the poinsettia has grown so much the past season, they are under there somewhere... Cheers...MM.
peplill
17 years ago
Hi MM,
There is now a petunia that is a real perennial. I planted some 2 years ago they are still going well. They have smaller flowers and leaves. Mine bloomed spring, a little in the summer and I cut them back in late sumer and then really bloomed all fall and winter. This is there second year and they are blooming again now.
This is from a web site about them...
The fifth type of Petunia is the SunloverÂ "Perennial Petunia", known as 'Purple Craze' to most gardeners. The other types of Petunias are of course all treated as annuals, so a perennial stands apart in the garden because it needs a very different setting. First released in 1993 as a purple only flower, there are now other colours available. They are best cut back to a stump each year in the cold non-growth season. They will spread to a sprawling ground cover over 3 or 4 square metres in a summer. That has made them popular with unit owners who container garden and with folk who have some very steep slopes to cover. As with all Petunias they need a sunny well drained spot in the garden to flower at their best. In warm Mediterranean gardens it is advisable to cut them back after their first flush of flowers, but since most gardeners want a Christmas display, that usually gets delayed until early January.

~d
mistymorn
Original Author
17 years ago
Hi Deb I will have to look around for those ones as I like petunia's
They have such colourful and cheery blooms....Cheers..MM.
meggs
17 years ago
I have seen the perenial petunias, they have sweet little flowers, I saw them in all shades of purple (mauve to dark purple) and a lovely colour o apricot/gold.