Back in Black

In late 2010, Ball FloraPlant, a division of Ball Horticultural, released Petunia Black Velvet. After 4 years of development, the black flower was deemed ready for introduction into the market and into the gardening world. Black flowers are extremely rare, due to the fact that the black color does not occur naturally. Producing a true black color, and not simply an extremely dark purple, requires years of manipulation and mutation that does not come easily to a plant.

We first saw some of these beautiful flowers on our trip to Assisi. While we were leaving the city, I spotted some on our walk down the hill. When I asked Dr. Starman about them, she mentioned that they were a relatively new variety that Ball had produced. Until that trip, I had no idea that the flowers existed in that color. Certainly other colors of petunias, in fact for many years we've had petunias in our front lawn. But never in black! I loved being able to see something completely new. The fact that entirely new, never before possible colors are being created every year is incredible. With every new creation, new gardening possibilities abound.

-MJL