Lattesdotter28 июл., 04:39It's a hybrid that I have bought as an annual when I gardened a lot. They are traditionally cross-bred - and they put out a lot of flowers all summer. They not necessarily great for pollinators, but they are really pretty in a garden.
Concrete Botany28 июл., 04:43Yeah, I don't see the Petunias get much action compared to other flowers.
Lattesdotter28 июл., 04:53They are summer annuals. I think they are bred to be sterile. They are great if you need to sell a house or quickly make an apt building look better, but I always planted them along with native perennials.
Concrete Botany28 июл., 04:59If they are sterile, how are they escaping all over the place & coming back year after year in the same spots?
Lattesdotter28 июл., 05:10Hmm. Good question. These may not be sterile. You might have to take a sample to a botanist. (Answer: I have no idea!) One possibility is someone plants them nearby every year? Many seeds? (No clue!)
Concrete Botany28 июл., 05:20These outbreaks of what appear to be the same type are in multiple different neighborhoods & a source is usually identifiable, so I don't think it is someone casting seeds.
Lattesdotter28 июл., 05:24Some annuals become perennials if the climate is warm enough. If these aren't sterile, they may go into perennial like hibernation in the winter. Portland isn't that cold in the winter - they may may die back in the winter and rebloom.
Lattesdotter28 июл., 05:28I don't know where petunias are originally from - they are probably perennial in their original global habitat, which is probably warmer than Oregon usually was.
Concrete Botany28 июл., 05:36Looking at Wikipedia, it connects them to the Inca & Maya, so that gives some hint of their native range.
Lattesdotter28 июл., 05:27Have you done consecutive photos over different seasons - I know you have comparative seasonal photos. Do they die back in the "winter" and then rebloom in the same spot the next year? This would make them perennial rather than annual.
Concrete Botany28 июл., 05:31Same areas sometimes but not the same exact spots. Three of the outbreaks in East Oregon were noted last year. The one in Lower Moyamensing as well, though those might be slightly different.
Lattesdotter28 июл., 05:38If a cutting or part of a root was dropped, that would lead to a bloom. If they aren't sterile, then seeds from a nearby garden that plants the same variety every year? Birds like that garden a lot and poop or spit out seeds.
