Black petunia

Flowers have long become an integral part not only of rural and suburban areas, but also an element of the decor of the urban environment. From summer cottage fun, they have turned into a popular way to decorate balconies, loggias, medical and educational institutions, public institutions, restaurants and cafes. Increasingly, flower arrangements appear not only in parks, squares and front gardens, but also in flower pots and other hanging containers that adorn city buildings both outside and inside.

Of course, the brightest and most unusual in shape and color flowers are especially popular, with the help of which you can create bright decorative compositions. At the same time, it is not always possible to grow exotic varieties, often capricious and extremely demanding on climate conditions. In this regard, domestic gardeners often give preference to familiar and proven flower crops, choosing varieties that are unusual in color and shape in order to give individuality to their flower beds.

Black petunia: photo

In this sense, petunias are recognized favorites among flower lovers - few of the representatives of the flower world can boast of such a variety of bright colors. The varietal abundance of these catchy plants is combined with the versatility of their use: petunias look equally impressive in a front garden, in a city flower bed, in a hanging planter on a veranda, in pots on a balcony or windowsill. Along with the usual pink, white, blue, red varieties, there are a number of less common varieties with amazing petal colors. These include black petunia, which will be discussed in this article.

Botanical characteristics of black petunias

Native to South America, wild petunia became the subject of breeders' interest in the 18th century. About 40 species of these outstanding representatives of the Solanaceae family are known, which quickly won the sympathy of the gardener around the world.

In the wild, both annual and perennial black petunias are found, growing in a herbaceous form, or as a dwarf shrub. Their growth, depending on the species, ranges from 0.1 m to 1 m. Cultivated varieties, as a rule, are low herbaceous plants with large flowers of bright and saturated shades.

Black petunia: photo

Ampelous black petunias cannot boast of a branched and powerful root system, which is close to the tap-type rhizomes. Its shoots cannot penetrate into the deep layers of the soil, which should be borne in mind when planting petunias in a summer cottage. Petunia stems are erect or creeping, depending on the variety. The flowers are mainly located singly and can be simple or double, often not having the most pleasant smell. Plants bear fruit in bivalve capsules filled with very small seeds of black petunia.
Black petunia belongs to the young varieties and was bred in 2011, but has already managed to gain worldwide fame and the status of a recognized favorite among representatives of its genus. To date, several varieties of black petunia have been bred, which will be described in more detail below.

Black petunia: varieties

• The first variety of black petunias, which appeared as a result of the painstaking work of breeders over 4 years, is called petunia Black Velvet. Also, this variety is often called "Phantom".Before its appearance, petunias of a very dark shade of purple already existed, which could conditionally be called black, however, it is this variety that is considered the carrier of a full-fledged black color of petals. The firstborn among black petunias has a strong erect stem, giving a large number of branches. Lush bushes of this variety are distinguished by frequent and abundant flowering. Large flowers of a velvet black shade sometimes have stripes of black and yellow on the petals. The variety of petunia is propagated by Black velvet cuttings.

Photo of black petunias

• Petunia Black Cherry F1, as the name suggests, has a dense dark cherry color, close to black. As in the case of "Black Velvet", this variety is characterized by abundant flowering of branched bushes. F1 Black Cherry is resistant to adverse weather conditions such as strong winds or heavy rain. Having experienced the impact of bad weather, it does not lose its attractive appearance, since it can recover in a short time. At the same time, petunia of this variety is considered a light-loving plant that tolerates dry periods well. The landing of the "Black Cherry F1" can be started at the end of winter, in the last days of February. The period favorable for this procedure lasts until April.

• Another "cherry" variety of black petunia - Debonair Black Cherry... Black flowers with a reddish tint densely dot the spherical bush, which is characterized by high growth rates. This variety is very sensitive to watering, so the primary task of the gardener is to monitor the condition of the upper layers of the soil in order to prevent it from drying out in time. Black petunia is responsive to mineral fertilizing, which promotes abundant flowering. The favorable period for planting this variety falls on the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

• Variety of ampelous black petunia Sweetunia Black Satin differs in compact bushes, blooming black flowers with silky petals. Distinctive features of the variety are fast growth rates, as well as the ability to reproduce by cuttings and seed.

• Another weather-resistant variety is Crazytunia Black Mamba. Its dense compact spherical bushes feel great on balconies and loggias, as they are resistant to sunlight, without losing their decorative qualities. "Black Mamba" blooms quite early and several times during the season forms a large number of flowers of a coal-black shade. This variety propagates only in a vegetative way, since the fruits contain very few seeds. In addition, the seed, as a rule, does not retain the varietal characteristics of the parent plant.

Often, the variety of petunias Black Eyes is mistakenly referred to as black petunias, which is explained by its name. In reality, these early flowering petunias are white or pink in various shades with one characteristic feature - their throat is painted in a maroon color, close to black. The veins covering the petals of flowers with a net have the same shade.

Care instructions for ampelous black petunia

Despite their exotic origin and delicate appearance, petunias are unpretentious in nature and do not require much care. To grow them on your balcony or a windowsill, it is enough to follow simple agrotechnical recommendations.

• Petunia is a light-loving plant, and the need for sunlight is determined by the size of the leaves and petals of a particular variety. The larger they are, the better the plant feels in the sun. But heavy rain and wind can adversely affect the appearance of the petunia.
• Black petunias are sensitive to soil moisture, although they can successfully survive in dry periods.However, the best conditions for their growth and abundant flowering can be created with regular and abundant watering. At the same time, waterlogging of the soil in containers and stagnation of moisture should be avoided, as this can damage the root system and the death of the flower. Increasing the amount of water for irrigation is shown only on the hottest summer days. Moisten the soil in containers with soil should be carefully so as not to harm the plant itself.
• Another way to get plentiful blooms of black petunias is to fertilize the soil. For these purposes, both organic fertilizing and mineral complexes are suitable, which can be purchased at any gardening store.
• Unfortunately, black cetunias are exposed to diseases and attacks of harmful insects no less often than other representatives of this genus. The greatest danger to them is represented by fungal diseases like late blight and the so-called "black leg of petunia", when the root collar of the seedling decays. Another common problem is chlorosis, can have a variety of reasons from a violation of the diet to the defeat of fungal spores. For the prophylactic treatment of petunias, fungicidal preparations are suitable. Of the insect pests, petunias are most often attacked by aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, and thrips. To get rid of them, you will have to use insecticides.

Despite its catchy and fragile appearance, black petunia is not a particularly demanding plant. If you follow the simple rules for caring for them, you can enjoy the frequent and abundant flowering of spherical bushes on your balcony or windowsill throughout the season.