In 1995, a tsunami started in the plant world with the introduction of the Wave Purple petunia (Petunia x hybrida). Until then, standard petunias had a spread of only 12 inches, but these new plants had a spreading habit that grew to a width of 4 feet with a tidy height of only 4 to 7 inches. From this singular beginning, the Wave series has grown to include 5 types with 55 cultivars.
The original Wave series grew from the original purple to include pink, rose, lavender and blue colors. They are grown as tender perennials in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, and as annuals outside these areas. Their care is easy: Provide plants with at least six hours of direct sun for maximum flowering potential, keep soil evenly moist and fertilize with a slow-release or water-soluble product according to directions. Older standard petunias had to be pinched back to encourage new blooms, but the Wave plants bloom profusely without having to be trimmed. They are suited to hanging baskets, garden beds and mixed planters where they provide the “spiller effect.”
The Easy Wave series was introduced as a more-restrained sister to the original Wave petunias. With the same vigorous growth and easy care, Easy Wave plants reached a slightly shorter spread of 3 feet with a taller height of up to 10 inches, which makes it better suited to hanging baskets. The color selection of Easy Wave flowers expanded to include white, pink, red, purple and Rosy Dawn, which is pink with a white throat.
The Double Wave series introduced double petunias that grow on plants with a 2- to 3-foot spread and a compact height of 4 to 6 inches. Colors include white, pink, lavender, Blue Velvet, which is dark purple, and Blue Vein, which is lavender with contrasting purple veins. The Texas AgriLife Extension suggests filling a coconut hull hanging basket with Double Wave petunias by planting some on top and others through holes that you open along the sides of the fiber. As the plants grow, they cover the entire basket to form a rounded globe of flowers.
Plants in the Tidal Wave series were nicknamed “hedgiflora” petunias because of their ability to form a small mounded hedge that grows up to 22 inches tall when they are spaced close together. They have the same spreading habit of other Wave petunias, reaching up to 4 feet wide. Flower colors include purple, hot pink and silver, which is white with a purple-veined throat. Although they are not true vines, with a little support Tidal Wave plants grow upward to cover structures such as fences.
The newest addition to the Wave series is Tidal Wave, which packs a punch in smaller gardening spaces. Although individual flowers are smaller than other Wave types, they are produced prolifically along shorter stems. Colors include pink, rose, coconut (white) and denim (bluish). Tidal Wave blooms earlier than other Wave types and is the only one available as plants or seeds. You can use Tidal Wave plants alone in containers or combine them with other Wave series flowers for a contrasting look.
- Washington State University Extension: Showdown Between Wave Petunias and Supertunias
- Washington State University Extension: Wave Petunias a Favorite
- Southern University and A&M College System Agricultural Research and Extension Center: Petunia Time
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Petunia
- Texas AgriLife Extension Service: Ways to use "Wave Series" Petunias
- Clemson Cooperative Extension: Petunia
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