With an earthy aroma and wide range of colors, the five-petaled petunia is very common in home gardens and flower cuts.
Interpreting petunia flower meaning can be challenging! They could represent comfort, passion, and eagerness for quality time with a friend or a partner. Meanwhile, they could also send a message of hidden resentment and abrupt rage outbursts.
With that in mind, let’s dig deeper into how you can figure out the right connotation behind the perplexing little petunia!
Petunia Flower Meaning by Color
Because the petunias can be quite the head-scratcher, you’ll probably want to narrow down your options to send the right message.
After all, there are six main color options to go for, and each can add its own touch to the plant’s vibe. Before committing to a color, sit back and reflect on which variety would suit your energy the most.
Let’s take a look at the most common petunia colors and what they signify!
1. Red Petunias
From a psychological perspective, the color red is intense and packed with fiery emotions. Whatever meaning any given flower has, a red variety will pump it up to the max.
With petunias, it could go anywhere, from a sign of extreme anger to a devoted gift from a love-struck partner. After all, red is also a notorious representation of love, and Valentine’s day is good proof of that!
On other hand, you could possibly want to let someone know that you’re still not over the argument you had. In this case, maybe red petunias are the way to go.
2. Pink Petunias
While pink can also reflect love and romantic endeavors, it’s more tuned down. In this sense, the pink petunia is more likely to send a message of dainty comfort.
It’s something to get for someone who’s in touch with their feminine side to tell them that you find them gentle, serene, and nice to spend time with.
It could even make a great Mother’s Day gift if you go for a pale cut. It’s still pink without being too bold or showy.
3. Blue Petunias
While it’s a common belief, blue isn’t necessarily a color of sadness. A lot of times, it can reflect calmness and serenity instead.
With blue petunia flower arrangements, this positive vibe is the closest interpretation to consider. They could say that you feel at peace with someone and you enjoy the level of trust you share in the relationship.
Meanwhile, the rage side of petunia is hardly ever muted to the solemn sadness that you’d expect blue to symbolize. So, you don’t have to worry about sending the wrong message with these beauties at all.
4. Yellow Petunias
Yellow petunias carry warmth and are filled to the brim with high-energy emotions. For this reason, they work very well as symbols of friendship.
However, there’s the rage aspect that you might want to consider before giving out a sunny bouquet of petunias. After all, bold shades of yellow could elicit anger sometimes.
The real pointer here is going to be the nature of your relationship and the whole context of the gift. If it’s an old friendship with healthy communication, trust, and respect, odds are, they’ll get the positive message only.
5. White Petunias
As is the case with many other pale flowers, you can expect a touch of purity and innocence with white petunias. Plus, there’s just something so dignified and satisfying about a well-maintained flower bed of white petunias!
This doesn’t mean that they could never have any negative connotations. However, the color here doesn’t add fuel to fire as the red varieties do.
For the most part, the meaning behind these flowers is open to interpretation. Although white makes it a bit more serious, it can also give it a spiritual feel.
6. Purple Petunias
It’s not easy to exclude the aspects of resentment, secrecy, and rage from the purple petunia varieties. It’s possible for the floral arrangement to send out negative emotions, especially if you had a recent quarrel with the person you’re giving the flowers to.
Meanwhile, if you’re sure that misunderstandings are out of the way, the purple petunias could make for a charming surprise gift to show your passion.
On the upside, you can also get a sense of graceful royalty or a touch of playful mystery if you hit the right note with your flowers. These are only some of the perks of using purple accents!
Interesting Facts About the Petunias
Common color interpretations aside, there are a few instances where petunias gain a different perspective.
Here’s how:
1. Represents Joy and Teamwork in the Dixon Petunia Festival
If you ever get to visit Dixon, Illinois, you’ll get to see why it’s called Petunia City. There are pink flowers beyond the eye can see, from highways to hanging lamp post baskets.
You might even be surprised that the bulk of the gardening work is organized by the townspeople. In this case, the petunias represent beauty, teamwork, and a desire for change.
The crown on top here is the annual Dixon Petunia Festival. While there are actual petunia flowers and mascots involved, there are also sports, crafts, carnivals, delicious food, and a whole lot of community spirit.
2. Has a Close Association With Tobacco
The tobacco Nicotianoideae plants and the petunias happen to belong to the family Solanaceae. However, there’s an even deeper connection that you might have originally anticipated.
When the Spanish soldiers first came across the flowers in South America, it was called petun at the time. Petun more or less meant that the plant was a worthless version of tobacco. As a result, no one even bothered taking a sample back home.
It’s hard to believe that at some point, people found these beauties ugly and useless!
It was hundreds of years before the flower made its way through Europe. After a few hybridization trials, we got the petunias we know and love today.
3. Still Relevant in Pop Culture
Since it’s associated with comfort and has very dainty looks, petunia became popularized as a girl’s name.
One of the top references in pop culture to mention is Petunia Dursley from Harry Potter. Ironically, her character reflected jealousy and lack of the fiery passion that the flower stands for.
Asides from that, petunia flowers became popular in tattoo designs. It’s worth mentioning that they rarely reflect anger or resentment in this case.
What Is the Best Use for Petunias?
There are so many occasions where it would be appropriate to hand out a petunia floral arrangement, from a wedding to an anniversary. You can give it to a mother, a romantic partner, or even a friend!
In most cases, you won’t have to fear the negative connotations if you know that your relationship is pure and clear.
However, you can always just keep petunias in your outdoor garden for yourself. Their natural bloom will be way better than a temporary indoor display in a vase or a bouquet.
The most common varieties to consider are the Millifora, Multiflora, and Grandiflora. You’ll still need to put in some effort with the plant care since they’re not particularly low-maintenance. They’ll need full sun, fertilizing boost, and occasional deadheading.
For best visual results, go for a hanging basket with two or three color varieties. It’s also possible to visit your local plant nursery and get an established petunia to save yourself the hassle.
Once you get the hang of it, you might want to look for a compatible companion for your petunia pots or flower beds. Lobelias would work nicely here since they also thrive in full sun and look good in most garden spots.
Just keep in mind that the majority of the petunias are really sticky to the touch!
Wrap Up On Petunia Flower Meaning
Deciphering which petunia flower meaning was intended can be a tough nut to crack. It could either mean anger and bitterness or comfort and passion.
Instead of wasting your time figuring out which way the energy will go, keep in mind that it’ll mostly be a reflection of the relationship.
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