Petunia

Petunia Description

The Petunia (Petunia spp.)is a very popular and widely cultivated flower that originally comes from South America. Petunias are seen accenting gardens all over the world, but the majority of them are actually hybrids. Since there has been so many hybrids cross-bred, the colours and flower sizes of Petunias vary greatly.

Most Petunias are pollinated by insects. One species, Petunia exserta, is pollinated by birds. Petunias need to reproduce with the same species, as most are infertile when mixed with other species.

An interesting note is that the Petunia, tomatos, potatos and tobacco are all members of the same family, which is Solanaceae.

No one can talk about the Petunia without mentioning the Petunia Capital of the world. Dixon, Illinois has an annual Petunia Festival. This flower event draws people from all over the world. The city hosts a large parade with the streets being lined in Petunias. They also have a mascot for the event; Pinky Petunia.