Trailing or upright petunia seeds
Updated: 21 October 2026
You are choosing a shape before you choose a colour. A basket that must spill and a border edge that must stay in a mound are different packets. Trailing or upright petunia seeds get mixed up because both are sold with a basket in the photo. The [Petunia seeds comparison](/hub/herb-seeds/petunia-seeds) lists what each amazon.co.uk title claims. This page is only the habit. Peter F. compared those listings with BBC Gardeners' World, RHS plant records, and Just Seed's own Pirouette description. He did not trial the seed. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are choosing a shape before you choose a colour. A basket that must spill and a border edge that must stay in a mound are different packets.
You are choosing a shape before you choose a colour. A basket that must spill and a border edge that must stay in a mound are different packets. Trailing or upright petunia seeds get mixed up because both are sold with a basket in the photo. The Petunia seeds comparison lists what each amazon.co.uk title claims. This page is only the habit. Peter F. compared those listings with BBC Gardeners' World, RHS plant records, and Just Seed's own Pirouette description. He did not trial the seed. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Habit on listing | Variety | Seed form | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Just Seed Just Seed Double Pirouette Blue | n/a | Double Pirouette Blue | Pelleted | 7.8 | about £2.25 | View offer |
| Best value |  Just Seed Just Seed Double Pirouette Red and White | n/a | Double Pirouette Red and White | Pelleted | 7.4 | about £2.25 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Damavandpro Damavandpro nana compacta mixed | Dwarf, bushy nana compacta; title also says baskets | Petunia x hybrida nana compacta mixed | Untreated | 4.0 | about £3.50 | View offer |
On this page
Two habits, two jobs
A trailing petunia sends stems out and down, over a rim, a raised pot, or the edge of a bed. An upright or compact petunia builds a bush for a mound or a window-box filler that should not dangle into the path. BBC Gardeners' World describes the same split, with trailing stems up to about 90 cm. Those 90 cm are not a length you can order from an unnamed bag. Surfinia Trailing Red is about 30–40 cm of spread. Explorer Purple is about 50–60 cm. Pirouette is a double that the brand calls compact.
Words that do not settle it
Nana compacta means a dwarf, bushy hybrid petunia. Damavand, B0GMY8N997, is the clear compact name here: Petunia x hybrida nana compacta mixed, about £3.50. The title also recommends hanging baskets. A basket mention does not turn the plant into a trailer. One of the two UK reviews says it germinated and did not look trailing. Hanging or standing is the other empty phrase. Ultrey, B07PVGRLJC, uses it at about £5.99 for 200 seeds, so the listing has not chosen. Just Seed Double Pirouette is named and pelleted, at about £2.25 for 30 seeds, and the brand calls the series compact, with flowers about 10–13 cm. Packet checks beyond habit are on the petunia seeds buying guide.
When buyers said the habit was wrong
Seed that never germinates is an empty or dead packet. Seed that germinates into the wrong shape is a habit problem. SVI, B084VK2Y35, about £5.99, 2.3 from seven reviews, is sold as hanging, and UK reviews say the plants were not trailing. Nika, B0DRLFW3CG, about £2.99, has a review of good germination and upright plants, and the title count disagrees with the item count, 2,500 against 300. Ultrey's file, 3.6 from 180, repeats non-trailing plants and some reports of weeds or poppies. Damavand's never-grew review is germination. The not-trailing review is habit. UIOYEWRG trailing colour codes have no reviews. Absence is not evidence they trail.
When to pick trailing, and when to pick upright
Pick a trailing packet only when the name is a trailing series you can check, not a basket photo. If the display depends on a trail this summer, buy plants of a named trailing variety. Pick compact or nana compacta when you want a mound or an edge. Damavand names that class and still mentions baskets. Just Seed Pirouette is the named compact double when you accept mixed germination comments. Watering a basket, once you know you have a trailer, is on the hanging baskets page.
Common questions
What is the difference between a trailing petunia and an upright one?
Trailing plants send stems out and down, often over a basket rim. Upright or compact plants form a bush for a bed, a pot, or the centre of a box. BBC Gardeners' World uses those two groups, with trailing stems up to about 90 cm as a group figure, not a guarantee. A basket photo on the packet does not decide which you bought. The variety name, or a class such as nana compacta, is the line that matters.
What is nana compacta, and can it still go in a basket?
Nana compacta is a dwarf, bushy petunia. It can sit in a basket as a rounded filler. It should not be your plan if the point is a long spill. Damavand names that class and still prints baskets on the title. One review said the plants were not trailing. Use it for an edge or a mound, and read the care line with caution: it says sow 1 inch deep, which UK guides contradict.
Why did my trailing seed grow tall and upright?
The seed may have been a compact variety in a hanging title. That is what UK reviews describe for SVI, Nika, and Ultrey in this set. It can also be shortage of light after germination, which makes any petunia leggy without making it trail. Leggy and trailing are different. A trail arches out. A starved stem just falls over because it is thin. Check the packet name before you change the watering.
Do I need a different packet for a border edge?
Yes, if the edge must stay bushy. A true trailer will sprawl across the path and into the next plant. Nana compacta or another compact series, including Pirouette as Just Seed describes it, suits a neat edge. You do not need a hanging title for that job. A trailer is the packet for a rim or a raised corner, and only when you trust the habit line.
Does hanging or standing on a listing help me choose?
No. Ultrey's bullet uses that pair of words, so the listing has not committed. You might receive either habit, and the reviews lean toward plants that did not trail. A phrase that allows both is not a specification. Prefer a variety that says trailing, or a class that says nana compacta, and skip the sentence that tries to be both.
How long a trail should I expect?
Only as long as the named cultivar's record, and only if you received that plant. BBC Gardeners' World cites up to about 90 cm for trailing stems as a group. RHS examples differ: about 30–40 cm for one Surfinia, about 50–60 cm for Explorer Purple, and 0.1–0.5 m in height on a trailing-mix record. An unnamed bag has no such record. An upright review means you should expect a bush.
If the habit is wrong, is that the same problem as poor germination?
No. Poor germination means little or nothing came up: an empty packet, or seed that failed. The wrong habit means plants grew and they are the wrong shape, which is what the upright-basket reviews describe. You can compost a bush and still have had good germination. Reordering the same hanging title will not fix a variety that was compact all along. A dead packet is a returns question. A bushy plant is a choice question.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources named below, plus the Just Seed variety page and the Surfinia brand page. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts are from the twelve listings in this comparison. Page updated 21 October 2026.
- Thompson & Morgan, Petunias (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- BBC Gardeners' World, How to grow petunias (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- RHS, When to plant out tender plants (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- RHS, Hanging baskets (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Seed Marketing Regulations 2011 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Issuing plant passports (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Met Office, Gardening tips for May (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Just Seed, Pirouette red and white (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Surfinia brand (retrieved 21 October 2026)