Choosing Red Petunia Flowers
Petunias come in a myriad of not only colors, but shapes and sizes and habits – from clumping to trailing. The abundance and choice of red petunia varieties is just as varied. Many petunia flowers that are red are particularly fragrant as well as attractive to hummingbirds and pollinating insects. Before choosing red petunias, you will want to consider whether you wish to plant grandiflora or multiflora varieties, or a little of both. Here’s the run down: •Grandiflora petunias are the grandfather of petunias. They grow up to a foot (30 cm.) high and have large wavy blooms but are susceptible to damage from rain and heat. •Multiflora petunias are more compact and smaller than grandiflora, but they come in many shapes, sizes, and growth habits. They bloom more profusely and are more weather resilient. They also propagate easily.
Red Petunia Varieties
Below are some top picks when choosing and planting red petunia varieties for the garden. Aladdin Red is an early blooming, red ruffled, rain resistant grandiflora petunia that grows up to a foot (30 cm.) in height. Capri Rose, is as its name suggests, a rose red petunia with large blooms that flowers from spring through fall. This variety is very weather tolerant down to 25 F. (-4 C.) and up to 105 F. (41 C.)! They bloom earlier and finish off later than many other petunias. Capri Red is another frost hardy petunia with the same qualities as Capri Rose. If you love carnations, then Double Valentine is a gorgeous grandiflora with double red blooms on a mounding, upright plant that grows from 12-16 inches (30-41 cm.) tall. If you’re looking for red petunias to brighten up your containers, look no further than Mambo Red. These bright red petunias are weather tolerant multiflora petunias that bloom early with large flowers. They will not stretch, and blossom with blooms that are up to 3 ½ inches (8-9 cm.) across. Hurrah red petunias are among the earliest blooming multiflora petunias. They reach up to a foot (30.4 cm.) in height and flower consistently despite heat and humidity. Potunia Plus Red has large trumpet shaped blooms that attract hummingbirds. They require less water than other types of petunia which allows them to thrive in drought-like conditions. Supercascade Red is yet another variety of red petunia that produces large, showy blossoms on a bushy plant. Looking for spreading ‘Wave’ petunias? Try growing the Petunia Easy Wave Red hybrid. This trailing petunia looks lovely trailing over flower pots or filling in rockeries. This is just a sample of all the glorious red petunias to be had. Don’t overlook the ones that are predominantly red but include a splash of white or yellow. Both Candy Picotee and Frost Fire, for example, are red types surrounded by a ruffle of white, and Cha-Ching Cherry has a creamy yellow star in the center edged with red.
