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Pick two or three seeds to see how they grow, side by side: sprouting, spacing, sun, water, frost and pet safety in one table.

Comparing Petunia vs. Alpine Aster vs. African Marigold

The comparison

Petunia vs. Alpine Aster vs. African Marigold

Units
Growing facts for Petunia, Alpine Aster and African Marigold, side by side
Fact
PetuniaPetunia × atkinsiana
Alpine AsterAster alpinus
African MarigoldTagetes erecta
DifficultyModerateModerateEasy
Life cycleAnnualPerennialAnnual
Germination time7–10 daysNot yet verified4–7 days
Germination temperatureNot yet verifiedNot yet verified24–27 °C75–81 °F
Sowing depthOn the surfaceNot yet verified6 mm¼ in
SunFull sunFull sunFull sun, partial shade
WaterNot yet verifiedNot yet verifiedModerate
ContainersYesYesYes
Frost toleranceTender (no frost)HardyTender (no frost)
Soil pHpH 6.0–7.0Not yet verifiedpH 6.0–7.0
Toxicity to catsNon-toxicNot yet verifiedNot yet verified
Toxicity to dogsNon-toxicNot yet verifiedNot yet verified
Links
How to grow petuniaRemove petunia
How to grow alpine asterRemove alpine aster
How to grow african marigoldRemove african marigold

Up close

Meet the seeds

What each one is, in a few lines, with the full growing guide one click away.

  • Pink petunia plants in full bloom with dense trumpet flowersFlowers

    Petunia

    Petunia × atkinsiana

    Difficulty: ModerateGrows in pots

    Long-flowering favorites for beds, pots and hanging baskets. Sow the dust-fine seed on the surface indoors about 10 weeks early, then plant out in full sun after frost.

    How to grow petunia
  • Alpine aster flowers with lilac petals and yellow centres growing among grass in a meadowFlowers

    Alpine Aster

    Aster alpinus

    Difficulty: ModerateGrows in pots

    Alpine aster is a clump-forming perennial with violet daisy-like flowers, about 4 to 20 inches (10 to 50 cm) tall, that grows in full sun and well-drained soil and is hardy.

    How to grow alpine aster
  • African marigold plants growing in a field with many orange pompom flowers under a cloudy skyFlowers

    African Marigold

    Tagetes erecta

    Difficulty: EasyGrows in pots

    African marigold is a tender annual grown from seed in full sun, with fragrant leaves and showy flowers that attract butterflies. It also grows well in containers.

    How to grow african marigold

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The table, row by row

How to read a comparison

Every row is a fact from each seed's own profile, lined up so the differences stand out.

  1. Sprouting

    Germination time and temperature

    How many days the seeds take to sprout, and the temperature range they sprout in.

  2. Sowing

    Sowing depth and spacing

    How deep to sow each seed and how far apart the plants should grow. “On the surface” means the seed isn't covered.

  3. Timing

    Days to maturity and life cycle

    How long until the plant is ready, counted from sowing or from transplanting (each value says which). Annuals live one year, biennials two, perennials longer.

  4. Light and water

    Sun and water

    Full sun means 6 or more hours of direct sun a day, partial shade a few hours. Water needs are rated low, moderate or high.

  5. Space and weather

    Containers, frost tolerance and soil pH

    Whether it grows in a pot, with the smallest pot when it's known. Frost tolerance runs from tender (no frost) to hardy. Soil pH 7 is neutral.

  6. Pets

    Toxicity to cats and dogs

    Whether the plant is toxic to cats and dogs.

Quick wins

Fastest to sprout

Days from sowing until the first shoots appear, in good conditions.

Pet friendly

Safe around cats and dogs

Listed as non-toxic to both cats and dogs. Each seed's page has the details.

Not safe for pets: borage, buckwheat, caraway, carnation and 14 more.

Comparing

Questions about comparing

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Two or three at a time. Pick them in the boxes at the top, or start from any seed's page with “Compare with another seed”.
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Where do the facts come from?
From each seed's profile. Every fact there is researched and reviewed by our editors before it goes live.
Can I see metric or imperial units?
Both. The table picks the units that match your browser's language, and the switch above it changes them. Your choice is remembered in this browser.
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Found your seed?

Each seed's page explains how to grow it from seed, with facts researched and reviewed by our editors.

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