Two new black-and-white petunias

New varieties of petunia are being created all over the world – and this year we have almost exactly the same breakthrough from two completely different sources.

“Black and white” double petunias have been developed independently in both Cambridge, here in Britain, and in Japan and both varieties are available now.

So I asked someone who grew them last summer both for his view of these exciting newcomers.

Stuart Lowen, Marketing Manager of Ball Colegrave who supply a wide range of petunias to growers all over the country, assessed both varieties in his trials last year – and he grows more different petunias in one summer than the rest of us grow in a lifetime.

He highlighted the key points of difference between Mystical Midnight Gold (lower picture) and Tumbelina Superstar.

“Tumbelina Superstar (UK bred, top photo) is very much in keeping with the traits and habit of the well-known Tumbelina Series," he told me."Early double flowers, trailing habit and outstanding garden performance. It is also, when side by side, more of a real dark crimson red than black.

“Mystical® Midnight Gold (Japanese bred, bottom photo) is new breeding and a standalone variety. It has a more distinct darker, almost black accent to a more double rounded flower. This is semi-trailing variety.”

In warmer weather, the colouring of the flowers of both varieties may become a little more yellow but that double form and unique “black and white” basic colouring is a constant.

You can order plants of Petunia Tumbelina Superstar and Petunia Mystical Midnight Gold from Marshalls.

You can also order plants of Petunia Tumbelina Superstar from Mr Fothergill's.

You can order plants of Petunia Mystical Midnight Gold from Thompson & Morgan.
 

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*Please note, the contents of this blog reflect the views of its author and do not constitute an official RHS endorsement