You read that right! Nature Hills now has a Petunia that glows in the dark!
Introducing the first commercially available bioluminescent plant is available for your garden now!
Read on to learn all about these fascinating new ornamentals available for your garden!
Get Your Gardens Glow On!
An incredible new offering that is like nothing else on the market, the Firefly Petunia (Petunia x atkinsiana 'Firefly White') not only has the usual perks and beauty of a standard Petunia by day - beautiful white satellite flowers that pop all spring, summer until fall, and the slightly- fuzzy characteristic green foliage you’d expect from a Petunia!
But when you turn off the lights … the entire plant glows in greenish-yellow light!
Bioluminescence first identified the gene, luciferase, that causes fireflies to light up, and used it to create the first glowing plants.
This newly engineered Petunia has been crossed with a bioluminescent mushroom found in South Vietnam known by Neonothopanus nambi, to develop this new Penunia! The combination has created a new plant that actually emits light in the flowers and branch tips in the dark!
The Firefly Petunia glows like moonlight at night, revealing the inner flow of energy as it grows and blossoms. The flower buds glow the brightest with their light gradually softening as the blooms mature. As the plant’s energy works in harmony with its surrounding environment, the glow may change from one day to the next.
What an amazing breakthrough!
Using The Firefly Petunia In Your Garden
Firefly Petunia does everything that a usual Petunia does during the day!
These are fantastic annual accents throughout all USDA growing zones, and Firefly Petunia grows into a tidy and easy-to-include ornamental just 8-10 inches tall and 8-12 inches wide! So anyone from large estates to balcony gardens can enjoy these fantastic new ornamentals!
Acting as a pretty container accent, mixed planter fillers, window box spillers, and (once the sun sets) glowing thrillers on your porches, patios, and around seating areas! Their trailing habit works great in hanging baskets too!
The human eye is best adapted to viewing this plant when it is dark out! And Firefly’s bioluminescence is best enjoyed in areas free of any light sources.
This means your favorite evening hangout spots around the firepit or back porch are prime viewing areas! Just switch off your landscape lights and enjoy the show!
Show off this unique annual by including Firefly as a pretty edging and bedding plant adding unique pathway edging along your walkways! The glow isn’t strong enough to replace your pathway lighting, but it will be a cool effect regardless! Create whimsical Firefly Gardens and Children’s Gardens with the Firefly Petunia, and it is a must-have front-of-the-garden border in your Moon garden!
Use Firefly near entrances and front porch steps so that you and your visitors can appreciate the bioluminescence emitted by this plant! Bees and butterflies will stop by to visit too! Pollinators adore these blossoms and hummingbirds and Hawk Moths will stop by to visit as well!
Viewing Firefly’s glow in the daytime requires spending a few minutes in complete darkness to adjust to the conditions before the magic of Firefly reveals itself.
Caring For The Firefly Petunia
Firefly Petunias need about the same amount and type of care and attention as their more average (and now arguably more boring) counterparts!
Sun Needs
Flowering and growing the densest in full sun (at least 6 hours of sunlight a day) gives you the most flowers and the densest growth. Petunias can also handle partial shade but you may not see as much prolific flowering or the best bioluminescent display. In the hottest climates of USDA zones 8 - 11, Petunias appreciate a touch of afternoon shade for relief.
Soil & Moisture Needs
Remember to plant in a well-draining soil high in organic matter, and ensure your ground or container has ample drainage as soggy conditions will do as much damage as overly dry conditions will. When planting in containers, use a high-quality potting mix that includes peat moss, perlite, or vermiculite for the best drainage.
Repotting can enhance vitality by allowing stable soil moisture and room for the roots to access essential nutrients.
These annuals need consistent moisture and do not like to dry out. We recommend the Finger Test to keep them doing best.
Fertilizer
Firefly Petunia is a hungry plant! Proper fertilizer is essential to growing a happy and healthy plant and will display more pronounced bioluminescence. A flourishing plant will glow most brightly.
Deadheading & Pruning
A thriving plant will yield abundant blooms, which can be enhanced by regularly removing the older flowers and trimming back the stems as they become leggy. Firefly Petunia continues to produce new blooms all season long. As flowers age, they may be deadheaded to make more room for new blooms. Firefly responds well to pruning to keep the plant tidy.
Using scissors or pruning shears, or simply pinching back with your fingers, cut back any growth that is becoming scraggly. Firefly Petunia quickly rebounds with fresh, healthy growth and increased rebloom!
Firefly is an annual like other Petunias, which means plants typically complete their life cycle within one growing season. They will not tolerate freezing temperatures but can be brought indoors and trimmed back for the winter.
Be The First On The Block With Glowing Plants In Your Garden!
Be the first to enjoy the glowing Firefly Petunia in your container gardens and landscape beds!
Your neighbors will be green with envy!
Check out these hot new modern plants for your garden and container garden, in your science classroom, or create a conversation piece around your backyard entertainment areas by heading over to Naturehills.com to order your glow-in-the-dark Firefly Petunia today!
