9 Cascading Petunia Plants For Pots and Containers

Cascading petunias are vigorous growers that quickly fill a pot, hanging basket, or window box. Noted for their ease of growth and low maintenance, these are a group of petunias all their own. The low-growing groundcover types spread to spill over a container edge. Whether mounding and spreading or with long, sprawling stems, they fill a pot as a stand-alone specimen or, with compact varieties, become a trailing accent to upright specimens. Either way, the eye-catching waterfalls of color are a staple in the summer scene.

In addition to their (nearly) effortless color is a light, sweet fragrance from a multitude of trumpet blooms. Whether large and ruffly or small and prolific, the flowers are a neon sign for pollinators like hummingbirds and bumblebees.

Star hybrids among the trailing group include Wave® petunias and Supertunias®, which restored a host of modern hybrids to the home garden with more robust growth and adaptability over traditional varieties. Wave® petunias are reliable favorites that spread vigorously with long stems.

Supertunias® are a cross of cascading and standard petunias, giving them outstanding performance on a full, trailing form. Both have varieties with noted heat tolerance and a long bloom season, especially with a boost in nutrients from fertilizer and a trim mid-season.

In this, the 30th anniversary of the original Wave® petunia that changed the modern petunia landscape, we celebrate cascading varieties that grace the container display with months of color. They’ve become a hallmark of summer, highlighting streetscapes and front porches the world over.

Shock Wave Purple Tie Dye Petunia

Our Rating

Shock Wave Purple Tie Dye Petunia Seeds

View at Botanical Interests

Petite Charmer Blend Petunia

Our Rating

Petite Charmer Blend Petunia Seeds

View at Botanical Interests

Garden Party Blend Petunia

Our Rating

Garden Party Blend Petunia Seeds

View at Botanical Interests

‘Supertunia® MiniVista™ Indigo’

	botanical name Petunia ‘BBTUN93201’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 10-11

We kick off our list with a miniature in one of the most robust cascading petunias for growing in pots. The ‘Supertunia®’ series features top performers with vigorous growth and colorful flowers on forms that both mound and trail. They’re among the most popular for their summer-to-frost blooms and lush habit. Supertunias® are also among the most heat-tolerant cascading petunias for pots and withstand moderate drought. 

By mid-summer, trim the long stems to promote a flush of fresh growth. Clipping is also recommended for most petunias as the high heat sets in—the robust performers develop leggy stems and benefit from light pruning.

The ‘Mini Vista™’ subset of the Supertunia® series is smaller in stature and in flower. A profusion of blooms covers densely-branched forms; Similar to calibrachoa (million bells), the annuals remain under one foot tall but spread 18 to 24 inches wide. ‘Mini Vista™ Indigo’ has purple-blue blooms that fill a hanging basket or drape over a container as a single specimen. The award-winner holds multiple ‘Top Performer’ designations from trials across the country and climate zones.

‘Supertunia® Vista Bubblegum® Pink’

	botanical name Petunia ‘Ustuni6001’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 10-11

‘Vista Bubblegum® Pink’ is an icon among the Supertunia® series for its reliable flowering even in hot climates. Its durable performance gives it an additional month of flowering in southern climates, where other selections fade. With consistent moisture and regular feeding, the blanket of blooms lasts all summer.

‘Bubblegum®’ fills a space with its tall, mounding form and spreading stems. The cascading petunias overflow the pot with three-foot stems or longer by season’s end.

Large, saturated pink blossoms with red veins are deliciously appealing as they sweep an edge. These easily become features as singular specimens to occupy a large pot or basket. ‘Vista Bubblegum® Pink’ has over 200 awards from nationwide trials. It’s a consummate ‘Top Performer’ with continual flowering and robust growth.

‘Wave® Misty Lilac’

	botanical name Petunia ‘PAS3190’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 5-7”
	hardiness zones 10-11

Highlighting the Wave® series, this sought-after variety brings multiple soft purple shades to each plant. ‘Misty Lilac’ has purple-pink petal edges with light interiors, some splashed with white when growing in full sun. Soft yellow centers punctuate the delicate petals, and the overall look is a font of pale pink and white.

‘Misty Lilac’ is part of the classic Wave® series but is slightly taller than the others. Averaging seven inches high, the spreader reaches up to four feet wide. It’s the same type as the pioneering groundcover ‘Wave® Classic Purple’ from Japan that brought low, spreading stems and a sea of color to the U.S. in the mid-1990s.

‘Supertunia® Bordeaux™’

	botanical name Petunia ‘Lanbor’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-12”
	hardiness zones 10-11

‘Supertunia® Bordeaux™’ is popular for its robust growth and flowering, and especially for its unique blooms. In lilac and deep plum, petals have light edges and dark wine centers. Violet veining brings high detail to each blossom.

‘Bordeaux™’ mounds as a “filler” and trails over three feet long as a “spiller.” Feature it among complementary shades like orange and peach or white for a bright, crisp arrangement. It stands out among silver or deep purple foliage plants, too, for a dramatic display.

The multiple award-winner is another top performer in country-wide trials and in varying climate zones. From Colorado to Minnesota, Georgia, and Massachusetts, ‘Bordeaux™’ excels as a cascading petunia for pots and the border.

‘Opera Supreme™ Pink Morn’

	botanical name Petunia x hybrida ‘Opera Supreme™ Pink Morn F1’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-6”
	hardiness zones 10-11

The ‘Opera Supreme™’ series is a top cascading petunia for pots with a profusion of big blooms across an extended season. Special to ‘Pink Morn’ is a satiny, silvery sheen that adds delicate sparkle to the container. Flowers reach two and a half inches wide with rich pink edges that transition to creamy white throats with yellow centers.

The bicolor “morn” blooms of ‘Opera Supreme™ Pink Morn’ soften the display and are eye-catching with their shimmer. While stems remain low, they have a spread of three feet. Blooms line the stems without deadheading and with less pruning. This one is an All-America Selections Winner for its distinct flowers and robust, trailing habit.

‘Wave® Carmine Velour’

	botanical name Petunia ‘PAS1302763’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-8”
	hardiness zones 10-11

‘Carmine Velour’ is an All-America Selections winner for its high color and durable landscape performance. In bright cherry red, the ground-hugging annual is luxuriously rich and holds its vibrancy without fading. The favorite is reliable across climates, easy-care, and a hummingbird draw.

Pair it with another AAS winner, ‘Tidal Wave® Silver,’ for high contrast. ‘Tidal Wave® Silver’ grows more upright, at nearly two feet tall, though its broad spread measures nearly five feet. The continuous spray of pale purple and white brings soft, crisp elegance.

‘Shock Wave® Purple Tie Dye’

	botanical name Petunia x atkinsiana ‘PAS982897’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 7-10”
	hardiness zones 10-11

‘Shock Wave® Purple Tie Dye’ innovates with striking variations in deep violet and white. No two blooms are alike in this bold contrast. The petite plants stay under one foot tall but spread up to 30 inches. The tidy, compact ‘Shock Wave’ has a mounding, spreading habit.

‘Shock Wave® Purple Tie Dye’ is a color-shifting tapestry, as its purples change with growing conditions like sun exposure and temperature. The flowers on the floriferous low-growers are one and a half to two inches wide and are a kaleidoscope of purple in containers and small spaces. With small blooms and dense branching, the Shock Wave® series bounces back quickly after rainfall and summer storms.

‘Supertunia® Royal Magenta®’

	botanical name Petunia ‘INPETROYMA’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-12”
	hardiness zones 10-11

‘Supertunia® Royal Magenta®’ is a top performer in saturated purple-red petunia with a vigorous habit that mounds and cascades down the edges of pots. The bright pink blooms have brushes of purple with dark centers. The glowing flowers attract beneficial insects in addition to butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

As part of the Supertunia® series, ‘Royal Magenta®’ is heat- and drought-tolerant. The self-cleaning blooms don’t need deadheading to achieve those continuous blooms (though they may take a break in the peak of summer heat). Petunias appreciate a dose of slow-release fertilizer at planting. The heavy feeders do all of their growing, blooming, and seeding in a single season. Give them a boost with a supplemental application again in early summer.

‘Easy Wave® Rosy Dawn’

	botanical name Petunia ‘PAS410436′
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 10-11

The Easy Wave® subset of the Wave® series is one of the most adaptable cascading petunias in the potted flower lineup, comparable to Supertunia®. Easy Wave® is fast-growing and withstands cool spring and fall nighttime temperatures in addition to summer heat. This temperature range brings extended flowering across the transitional seasons and through summer with less need for trimming.