Petunia

Fresh Pick

Farmer Blue is a 12-acre, cut-flower farm in Seabrook. Its owner is working hard to build a better bouquet with local flowers. The farm grows over 300 varieties of annuals and perennials for florists and event planners in the Lowcountry. 

Here is owner David Blue’s favorite flower for May: 

Petunia is a genus in the family Solanaceae, which is the same family that includes tomato, potato and tobacco. It is considered a tender perennial but is usually treated as a garden annual. 

Native to South America, petunia was believed by the Incas and Mayans to ward off evil spirits with its scent. In more modern folklore, New Age followers are certain that a petunia can grow only where there is positive energy.  

The modern petunia has been hybridized to a low-growing, uninteresting bedding plant. The seed we use is from an Italian grower from the late 1880s. The flowers are fluffy and bright on thirty-inch stems. They’re perfect for a spring bouquet.