By Grace Broyles
So resilient is this violet pink Petunia that it was named a Texas Superstar Plant in 2001. And rightly so.
Photo Credit: By Grace Broyles
It outperforms any other Petunia, which have been such favorites for summer color until the hot dry days of Texas summers take their sad toll.
The Laura Bush Petunia was developed in Texas by Smith County horticulturist Greg Grant with help from Dr. Jerry Parsons of Texas A&M in the early 1990s from a very heat-tolerant seedling Grant found in Germany of an old-fashioned fragrant white Petunia crossed with a variety native to South America. Although scientifically called Petunia Violacea, it was named in 1998 in honor of Laura Bush, the wife of former President George W. Bush. The Laura Bush Petunia was bred to withstand the dry and hot conditions of the South, and it happily does so. The added joys of this plant include the ability to thrive in our alkaline soils, to self-seed very readily, to be disease-resistant, and to smell like Petunias are known for.
One Laura Bush Petunia produces many 1 to 1-1/2-inch trumpet-like flowers on an ever-expanding multi-branching rich green mounding plant. Each plant can grow to about 24 inches tall and 36 inches wide in one long growing season, and is very suitable for hanging baskets, patio pots and flower beds. Some of these Petunias have begun blooming in February and can continue to do so long into the winter months, as conditions are favorable.
This Petunia performs best in full sun, even the full sun of West Central Texas. It does need well-draining soil, but it can withstand some dry periods between rains and waterings. To keep the Petunia producing more flowers, the plant should be trimmed back by a third every month to six weeks.
Seeds for the Laura Bush Petunia can be ordered online or purchased from some seed farms in Texas and are easily started by handsowing and gently pressed into the soil, in small pots on top of loose moist soil, or in a moist well-draining garden area on top of the soil. These seeds need light to germinate and will do so in about 1 week to 14 days. Once the seeds germinate, they need to be kept slightly moist. They will grow rather quickly and become hardy and produce many colorful flowers for gardeners and plant lovers for weeks to come.
Photo Credit: By Grace Broyles