Petunia Black Ray

The Petunia Black Ray is a sumptuously black flowering plant, with large dark trumpets where the light creates silky and velvety reflections of jet black or deep purple. It is a well-branched bushy plant, forming a luxurious dome where these surprising flowers succeed each other from summer to autumn without interruption. Its flowering enhances silver foliage, pastel or vibrant colours, creating fabulous contrasts of shades or shapes. This annual plant can quickly dress up hanging baskets, garden pots, or containers.

Our hybrid petunias all come from several plants native to the warm regions of South America. Petunia Black Ray belongs to the Solanaceae family and is closely related to ornamental tobacco, for example, and its foliage also contains alkaloids. This variety quickly forms a round and regular bushy tuft, about 40 cm (15.7 in) in height and 50 cm in diameter, with a perfect dome-shaped habit that barely droops. The plant is in flower from June to October, provided that faded flowers are regularly removed and it is regularly supplied with fertiliser. Its cup-shaped flowers are large, surprising, woven with silk and velvet of a rich and deep black, sometimes showing reflections of tin, brown, and purple. The small centre of the corolla is marked with a silver reflection. The foliage, quite hairy, has entire edges and a dark green colour, it is vigorous and healthy.

No other annual flowering plant has undergone such intense selection by breeders for such a long period. The results are impressive, as petunias rival pelargoniums in their splendour and length of flowering, as evidenced by this Black Ray variety. Place it in large pots or hanging baskets. You can also plant this petunia in flower beds to punctuate borders of plants with grey foliage such as ceraistes, cineraria maritima, or artemisias. If you want to stand out, plant several young plants to form an original ground cover at the base of plants with grey foliage such as Faassen's catmints or annual poppies in pastel colours.

Note: Please be aware that our young plants in mini-pots are professional products reserved for experienced gardeners. Upon receipt, transplant and store them in shelters (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame...) at a temperature above 14°C for a few weeks before being installed outdoors once all risk of frost has passed.