Firefly Petunia

Wenke Greenhouses is excited to have the opportunity to offer the Firefly Petunia, an extraordinary new flower that glows in the dark. The Firefly Petunia combines the genetic coding of a petunia and a naturally bioluminescent mushroom. This cutting edge horticultural innovation has earned the Firefly Petunia a spot on Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2024.

What to Expect

By day, the Firefly Petunia performs as any annual petunia would - reliably producing white flowers on a compact plant which can reach 8-10 inches in size.

But in the dark is where the magic happens. The Firefly Petunia’s soft, moon-like glow will emanate from actively growing flowers and foliage alike. The plant glows anywhere it is actively growing, glowing brightest from newly emerging flower buds. The glow from the flowers will gradually soften as the bloom matures. The Firefly Petunia can tolerate partial shade but its bioluminescence may be reduced.

How to Grow

Treat your Firefly Petunia like you would any other annual petunia. Wait until the danger of frost has passed to plant outside – plant your Firefly Petunia once overnight temperatures are consistently above 40 degrees. Full sun conditions of 6 or more hours of sunlight are necessary for both healthy plant growth and bioluminescent performance.

Keep your Firefly Petunia soil evenly moist soil, but not waterlogged. Do not allow the soil to dry out completely.

Firefly Petunias need their nutrients! Fertilize with a water-soluble fertilizer like Jack’s Petunia FeED is very important. The bioluminescent properties of the Firefly Petunia perform best with continuous feed of nutrients. Applying Jack’s Petunia FeED at half strength, each time you water will give the Firefly Petunia the feeding regiment it needs to glow best.

While the Firefly Petunia is self-cleaning and doesn’t require deadheading to continue blooming, the plant can be enhanced by regularly removing spent flowers. You may occasionally prune the plant to shape it or encourage bushier growth. This is especially helpful if it starts to look leggy.

Firefly Petunias are protected under patent, and as such, propagation and breeding are not permitted. These petunias are sold exclusively for personal use.