Editor's note: Once a month, the OSU Extension master gardener's office of Franklin County profiles a plant that occurs naturally in central Ohio. Seeking a perennial replacement for annual petunias?

When gardeners look at a petunia, they see the vibrant and versatile blooms of the most popular bedding plant in the U.S. But when plant scientists look at a petunia, they see an important model plant ...

Question: Is the wild petunia in the data base as invasive/aggressive as the more common ruellia? In other words, will it pop up everywhere? Ruellia nudiflora (Engelm. & Gray) Urban Common wild ...

Wild petunia makes a perfect alternative to the non-native and highly invasive Mexican petunia. The flowers of wild petunia are very similar to those of Mexican petunia: They are a lovely shade of ...

A team of researchers from Pomona College and the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden has figured out how a wild petunia plant is able to fling its seeds so far. In their paper published in the Journal of ...

Petunias produce pretty summer flowers, and the native Carolina wild petunia is no exception. The wild petunia, scientifically known as Ruellia caroliniensis, is a Coastal Plain native perennial that ...

Nature may have a few things to teach tennis players about backspin. Glue that holds the flower’s podlike fruit together breaks down on contact with water, allowing the fruit to split explosively, ...

Petunias stand out: Petunias fit 2026 garden trends with their beauty, adaptability, and minimal upkeep. Trend-aligned blooms: Designers highlight layered planting, pollinator support, and ...