and Petunia x hybrida) are simple-to-grow, colorful additions to a flowerbed.They’re also favorites on the menu of several kinds of animals, with rabbits and deer topping the list of unwanted diners. Only eat the flower's petals; do no eat the stamen or pistils unless you know for sure it's okay to do so. Petunias are easy-to-grow warm season annual plants that grow in beds, containers, hanging baskets or window buckets. Petunias are one of the most popular plants for gardeners, but for different reasons, several types of plants like petunias too. what is eating my petunias? The flowers reach 2½ to 3 inches across. It has weathered the unseasonably hot temperatures we've had for the month of July, but suddenly it's looking very peaked--yellowing, chlorosis in some of the leaves, and definite holes in many of the flowers. This container was an impulse purchase from my supermarket around July 4th. 9 years ago. No luck. Petunias (Petunia x hybrida) are summer annuals with funnel-shaped or ruffled flowers that bloom from spring to first frost. Relevance. Life got in the way of gardening and for reasons that I *hope* to reveal in a future post, I stopped spraying my plants for budworms, and all hell broke loose. When we arrived back down at base, my mom began laughing and telling us how a ground squirrel was sprawled in the middle of one of the petunia baskets, eating away at the flowers. Never eat flowers grown commercially or for floral arrangements, as they are often sprayed with pesticides and other toxic chemicals. Anonymous. If the petunia is healthy and you find no pests or signs of feeding, then small, black dots may be nothing to worry about. Petunia with major budworm damage. ‘Madness’ series petunias have big, 3-inch flowers … Since I've grown petunias before, I knew just what… Favorite Answer. They eat the budding flowers … After picking flowers, put them in a glass of ice water or on a wet paper towel in the fridge. Rabbits love petunia flowers They usually leave them alone after better food arrives at the buffet. I have a question about caterpillars that attack my geraniums every year at the end of July. Bedding plants like geraniums, petunias and nicotiana can create a riot of color when planted en masse, but gardeners aren’t the only ones drawn to these bright and prolific flowers. 4 Answers. They bloom showy flowers in a variety of colors including pink, red, white, purple and yellow. I have put snail killer and insect killer (named seven) on them and something is still eating the flowers? Answer Save. Floribundas ‘Celebrity’ series petunias are compact and rain-tolerant. My guess is rabbits. ‘Rose Star’ (Petunia Ultra Series), whose flowers look striped because of its rose-pink flowers with a white center. To my petunias and geraniums at least. It could be any number of bugs eating on them..though it's probably one of the bugs that feed at night. I have been looking at tattered and barren petunias, including the one in the above photo, for about 3 weeks now. Petunias (Petunia spp. One insect in particular is infamous for its attraction to petunias. My first thought when seeing the picture is that it … Hi Victoria - I'm pretty sure the holes in your petunia flowers are being caused by bugs. With flowers of purple, pink, red, yellow or white, petunias fit in with many color schemes and look attractive in flowerbeds, containers, and hanging baskets. In the pot I also have a mum planted. I planted my petunias about a week now, & something is eating holes in the flower. My mom appeared to be intently admiring these flower baskets as my boyfriend and I tried to get her attention from the viewing platform for a photo op. This container was an impulse purchase from my supermarket around July 4th hanging or! 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