Petunia axillaris
Large white petunia
Also known as Petunia nyctaginiflora
- Height × spread
- 0.4m × 0.4m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Frost free greenhouse 1C & above (RHS H2)
- Flowers
- Summer
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
This tender annual with an upstanding habit holds its large white, or creamy yellow flowers erect on stout green stems. They are joined to the green calyx by a slender white tube that opens into a broad rather flat trumpet with five overlapping wedge shaped petals that come to a point at their centre. A central rib runs from the point to the heart of the flower. The foliage is fresh green with broad pointed tipped leaves that are sticky to the touch. The flowers give off their fragrance at night. Give this plant a sunny site in soil that is rich and always moist. It stands around 40cm (16in) high with an equivalent spread.
- Flower colour
- White
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Column
- Height
- 0.4m
- Spread
- 0.4m
- Season of interest
- Summer
- Flowers in
- Summer
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Seaside garden, Mediterranean garden, Cottage garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam (normal), Sandy soil
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Well drained soil
- Hardiness
- Frost free greenhouse 1C & above (RHS H2)
- Borders & containers
- Borders and containers
- Use for
- Bedding plant
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water during dry periods
For plants in the ground, when there has been little or no rain for a period of 7-10 days and the soil is dry, give it a deep watering and repeat weekly until there is a downpour of rain. Check plants in pots more frequently, especially in hot weather.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Feed with high potash feed several times
Apply a fertiliser that is high in potash (potassium) several times while the plant is in flower.
Where fertiliser values are listed on a packet they are in order - nitrogen, phosphate, potassium with percentage values of each. For high potash choose a fertiliser where potassium is higher.
Spring-Autumn · Planting
Protect from slugs & snails
Protect young plants and new growth from slugs; mature plants can withstand slugs though damage affects their appearance. Apply nematodes in Spring. Or sprinkle organic slug pellets thinly around plants. Barrier methods, eg copper tape, may help.
Winter
Winter-Spring · Planting
Protect from winter cold
Bring the plant into a frost-free area before frosts occur, and do not put them outside until all danger of frost is past. Follow watering instructions, or allow the plant a period of dormancy during the winter.
Plants need to be brought inside in cold areas, i.e. colder than zone 8.
Planting & general
Planting
Deadhead blooms during flowering season
Remove flowers as they turn brown and fade. Snip the stem just below the bloom. This will keep the plant tidy and encourage more flowers.
The removal of spent flowers encourages the plant to produce fresh ones, rather than spend its energy on the development of seeds.
Compost · Planting
Loam based compost + grit for repotting
Use a free draining loam based compost rather than one which has been modified to be 'moisture retentive'.
Alternatively prepare a compost using three parts of loam (John Innes no. 2 or 3) to one part of (horticultural) sand or fine (horticultural) grit.
Compost · Planting
Multi-purpose compost
Use a good quality peat-free multi-purpose compost when growing in pots and containers.
Found in
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