Black, whether on a basic dress or on a flower, is an easy color to match. In any style of garden, the new black petunias have attracted much interest from the gardening community and will do the same in beds and to surrounding plants they border. Gardeners who like Black Velvet, Phantom and Pinstripe will have one advantage; black is simple to mix in the garden.
Flowers or Foliage Variety Matching Black Velvet Petunias
Since 2010, when the black petunias were first unveiled, the comparison with the basic black goes-with-everything concept has been unavoidable. The challenge is to provide variety in the garden even by the most die-hard fans of black flowers.
The Petunia x hybrida ‘Black Velvet’ and its companions Phantom and Pinstripe grow 8” – 12” tall requiring an equal amount of space to spread. Each plant has a tight branching habit on which grows masses of black blooms. Petunia 'Black Velvet' is an early summer bloomer that does not melt in the hot full sun which it requires to grow well.
Petunia 'Black Velvet' has been frequently paired with the Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost.' Structured white Osteospermum or white roses in a planting bed offer more than a sprinkling of white with the black. For a short trailer of white flowers, consider Bacopa or sweet alyssum falling off the rim of a pot. In any plant combination, adding additional green foliage to break up the black is a good idea.
Solenostemon ‘Shiny Shoes,’ a coleus with black crinkled leaves paired with Petunia ‘Black Velvet’ would satisfy any gardener’s taste for black in the garden. For variety, mix in red or yellow colors in a large container or create wide swaths in the landscape. Sun exposure will determine which type of red coleus is correct for the location. Yellow flowers can range from upright Shasta daisies to the feathery Bidens.
Orange and black easily complement each other but are apt to remind visitors to the garden of the fall Halloween season. If a gardener’s climate remains mild in October, save pots of black petunias and move them near orange foliage and flowers for the holiday.
Mixing Flower Colors With Phantom or Pinstripe Star Petunias
Petunia x hybrida ‘Phantom’ and Petunia x hybrida ‘Pinstripe’ have joined the group of multicolored and star-patterned petunias plant lovers already use in their gardens. For petunias with the distinctive star, a reliable pattern form seen from plant to plant means a successful hybrid has been developed.
Petunia ‘Phantom’ has an obvious yellow star imprinted onto each black petunia flower. Yellow petunias planted with Phantom in a pot and the yellow-starred black flowers at the base of yellow daylilies are two easy ideas. A pot of Petunia ‘Phantom’ placed in among a mass of yellow zinnias or dahlias is another.
Petunia ‘Pinstripe’ has a white star overlaid onto a purple bloom that is so dark it will look black at first glance. Gardeners who loved the purple and black of Calibrachoa Superbells® ‘Blackberry Punch’ will get a similar look by planting Petunia ‘Pinstripe’ and Petunia ‘Black Velvet’ together.
Black Petunias Win Awards
Black Velvet and its fellow petunias, Phantom and Pinstripe, were the talk of the plant world in 2010. From the new introductions at the California Spring Trials, Petunia ‘Black Velvet’ won two of the Medal of Excellence breeding awards. It was a high achievement to create the first black petunia in the world.
For gardeners who have yearned for black flowers, but instead have settled for nearly black like very dark purple colors, the black petunia is a welcome addition. Black Velvet, Phantom and Pinstripe are easy to match with a rainbow of garden colors. Gardeners are sure to have fun mixing new combinations of flowers or foliage plants with black.
Sources
- Today’s Garden Center. July 20, 2010. “Black Velvet Petunia Wins Top Honors.”
- Fleuro Select. June 2011. FleuroStar Contest.
- Ball New Varieties Catalog. 2011. Ball Horticultural Company.
Permission received for all photos used in this article.
Chris Eirschele - Chris writes on plants grown and gardens explored; she is a member of the Garden Writers Association.
