In my yard it's an invasive weed that I pull up by the handfuls! Especially the pink variety. I'm serious, last weekend I must have pulled over 50 of them. It's my own fault because I leave a few around the base of palms or mixed in with something that it looks good with. The pink flowers are so translucent and pretty... But I'm sorry I ever let the first one take root. Sun, shade, it doesn't seem to matter - they grow everywhere.

Nami, if you come to the swap this fall you can pull several!

Kate

Is yours the short variety or the tall purple variety? I have the tall ones that are doing well.. They are plnted in a semi shaded area and get water about once or twice a week.. Milorganite for fertilizer and other than that I dont touch them..
Donna

I meant the tall Purple variety. Are they annuals that cant handle the heat? I do water them twice a week if it hasn't rained.

Okay we have the same ones (pretty sure).. I can take a pic tomarrow to be sure.

These come back every year and will spread rapidly here in jacksonville. I have customers who pull them up yearly from the same flower bed because they multiply so fast. Water twice a week and the fertilizer isnt a must but they will loom longer/ faster with it. They take the heat pretty well but may wilt alittle in mid day heat. Mine was a tiny bit given to me half dead and now they are doing wonderfully.

Donna

Short or tall they should do well and can take the heat and sun. I can only think it's not enough water. Some times the tall ones get lanky, and I have cut them down and they have come back fuller.

I whack mine down every winter and they just come back each year. I found them slow to start but once in, impossible to kill. I never fertilize or water them, they just get water from the eaves of the house. They have a southeastern exposure though and I don't know how they would do with a western exposure. They do get slightly wilty when it is hot.

Keep mine in a pot...for now.
I like the 'lush' look they can give, but it's more work than I'm willing to do...LOL

I have the tall purple variety. I've taken to growing them as a 3-4 foot hedge along my South wall.

They are perennial to zone 8, and will grow in anything from total shade to total sun. The real factor is water. In its native state, Mexican Petunia grows along ponds and other watery areas where there is abundant access to moisture. During our dry season, they will wilt and look sad... especially the ones grown in full sun. But come those summer rains, they will be flushing out new growth and sending up shoots all over.

This is a really tough plant (perhaps even indestructible once established) and can tolerate drought even thought it might not look pretty. Occasional pruning keeps them bushier and encourages more flowers. Cuttings will root in a glass of water. Sometimes they can be invasive, depending on the situation and variety. Mine basically stay where they are... the extra shoots and small plants that come up simply contribute to the density of the hedge.

It works for me, that's all I can say.

Good luck with them, Nami.

Same here-- we have them on the west-facing side of our house, next to our garage, and they do fine without any attention whatsoever, except they definitely need water. One gets dumped on by a water spout, and that side is always much more lush than the side that is on its own... They are in a contained area surrounded by driveway but somehow they manage to find a way out and start growing in other areas as well...

Nami, there is a Florida Friendly sterile variety, tall & purple, which is NOT invasive at all. I've been growing clumps of them for several years, and they have never once produced a seedling or sent out runners. They are a favorite of mine, but they do get leggy from time to time. Just cut them back, feed 'em up a bit, and they'll return nice and bushy.

They seem to be drought tolerant, but are prettier with some extra water.

Marcia

I have the native petunia, they self seed a little, but not excessively. Still trying to remove the other when it pops back up. Happy gardening!