In 1995 'Purple Wave' was introduced as an AAS Winner and began a new class of spreading petunias. The new variety was bred by Kirin Brewery in Japan and introduced by PanAmerican Seed Company. An additional new class, milliflora, was bred by Goldsmith in 1996. These different classes may bring about a revolution in petunias, leading to changes that completely transform the garden petunia we now know. Many of the different classes of petunias can be used interchangeably in the garden, but some are especially suited for containers and ground covers.
Many petunias have a light, sweet fragrance, particularly noticeable in blue petunias.
This class performs better than most others in adverse weather conditions, especially hot, wet spells, during which they continue to flower freely. The flowers, which may be single or double, are produced in abundance all season. The single-flowered grandiflora has been the most popular type of petunia for years. A sometimes sprawling plant, it is excellent for mass plantings and for containers. Flowers form along the entire length of each stem and are produced prolifically all season without the stems being trimmed back.