I’m a sucker for a petunia in a new color. I fall for that trick every time. When the first “bright yellow” petunia became available, I hopped on board immediately. I soon realized bright yellow really meant “pale, lemon-yellow-fading-to-white.”
This year there’s a new petunia called ‘African Sunset’. It’s a highly-praised 2014 AAS winner so I expect great things from it. However, it’s advertised as the first orange petunia, and many of the seed catalog photographs showcase that distinct orange color.
I’ve been led astray yet again. This is ‘African Sunset’ in bloom:
It’s more of a orange-tinged red than a true orange color. When the flowers fade they take on a coral hue. This might still be one impressive petunia—time will tell. And the flowers are bold and colorful, but I’m calling it like I see it. This petunia is not orange.
‘African Sunset’ grows 7-12 inches tall and spreads about 3 feet. I’ll have an update later this summer when my plants really get established.