How to Grow Supertunia Picasso in Purple

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Supertunia Picasso in Purple

Petunia × hybrida 'Supertunia Picasso in Purple'

flower

Supertunia Picasso in Purple is a vibrant, trailing petunia cultivar featuring deep purple flowers with striking white picotee edges and veining patterns. This vigorous, heat-tolerant annual produces abundant blooms throughout the growing season and is ideal for hanging baskets, containers, and landscape beds. It exhibits excellent disease resistance and requires minimal deadheading compared to traditional petunias.

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Example Supertunia Picasso in Purple timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)

Plant Supertunia Picasso in Purple
Around Apr 17

Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
Tend & protect
Late spring–summer

Watering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
First Supertunia Picasso in Purple blooms
Around May 17

≈ 30 days after planting

Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Supertunia Picasso in Purple dates for your own zip code.

Growing Conditions

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Sun: Full sun, 6-8 hours daily; tolerates partial shade but blooms best in full sun

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Water: Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged; water deeply when top inch of soil is dry. In containers, may need daily watering during hot weather. Reduce watering in cooler periods.

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Spacing: 12-18 inches apart for landscape plantings; one transplant per hanging basket or container inches

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Days to maturity: 30-45 days from transplant to first blooms

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Planting depth: Surface sow seeds or plant transplants at soil level; seeds require light to germinate

Soil

Type: Well-draining potting soil or garden loam

pH: 6.0-6.8

Amendments:

Peat moss or coconut coir for moisture retention Perlite for drainage Compost for organic matter Balanced slow-release fertilizer

Growing Zones

Find your zone →

Thrives in zones 2-11 as a warm-season annual; can be grown nationwide when planted after frost danger passes

2a 2b 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b 11a 11b

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Growth Stages

Seedling

7-10 days

Tiny seedlings with cotyledons and first true leaves emerging; plants are fragile and small

Maintain consistent moisture and bright light (not direct sun); provide bottom heat (70-75°F) to promote germination; ensure excellent air circulation to prevent damping off disease

Vegetative Growth

14-21 days

Young plants develop multiple sets of true leaves and begin forming branching stems; no flowers present yet

Gradually acclimate to brighter light; maintain 65-70°F temperatures; pinch growing tips to encourage bushiness; apply balanced fertilizer weekly at half strength

Pre-Flowering

7-14 days

Plants become fuller and more compact; flower buds begin to form at stem tips

Continue pinching tips for 2-3 weeks to maximize flower production; increase fertilizer to higher phosphorus formula; ensure adequate light and air circulation

Flowering & Blooming

60-120+ days (until frost)

Abundant purple-white picotee flowers open continuously; trailing stems develop and cascade from containers; vibrant display all season

Switch to bloom-boosting fertilizer (higher phosphorus); maintain consistent watering; remove spent flowers if desired (though Supertunia varieties self-clean well); monitor for pests; deadhead occasionally to refresh foliage

Season End & Decline

Variable (until first frost)

Plants begin to slow bloom production with cooler temperatures and shorter days; foliage may thin or discolor

Reduce watering as growth slows; stop fertilizing in fall; pull up before first hard frost or bring container indoors if desired; plants are frost-sensitive annuals

Companion Planting

Plan your garden →

Plant with:

Trailing Bacopa Calibrachoa Ivy-leaved Geranium Verbena Diascia Lotus vine Silver Dusty Miller Blue Daze Angelonia Fuchsia

Avoid planting near:

Black Walnut trees (allelopathic compounds inhibit growth) Fennel (allelopathic)

Common Pests

Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; remove affected foliage; encourage beneficial insects like ladybugs
Use yellow sticky traps; spray with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap; increase air circulation; spray undersides of leaves
Mist foliage regularly to increase humidity; spray with neem oil or sulfur; remove heavily infested leaves; avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen
and
Handpick in early morning or evening; use copper tape around containers; apply diatomaceous earth; remove debris where they hide
Reduce watering frequency and let soil surface dry between waterings; use yellow sticky traps; apply Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTi)

Uses

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Container & Hanging Basket Displays

Household

Supertunia Picasso in Purple is specifically bred for container growing, with a naturally trailing habit perfect for hanging baskets, window boxes, and mixed container gardens. Its cascading growth creates dramatic focal points on patios and decks. [source]

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Pollinator Attraction

Wildlife

The abundant tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators to gardens and containers. While petunias don't produce nectar as abundantly as native species, they still serve as supplemental nectar sources. [source]

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Landscape Bedding & Mass Plantings

Household

These vigorous petunias perform excellently in landscape beds and borders, providing continuous color through summer and fall. Their heat and disease tolerance make them reliable performers in challenging garden conditions. [source]

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Fresh Cut Flowers

Craft

The striking purple-white picotee flowers make attractive short-lived cut flowers for small bouquets and arrangements. Cut stems in early morning for best vase life (typically 5-7 days). [source]

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Heat & Drought Tolerance

Household

As a Supertunia cultivar, this petunia demonstrates excellent heat and moderate drought tolerance once established, making it ideal for hot climates and southern gardens with intense summer sun. [source]

Harvest Tips

Petunias are ornamental flowers, not harvested in the traditional sense. Deadhead (pinch off) spent blooms to encourage continued flowering and neater appearance, though Supertunia varieties are self-cleaning and require minimal deadheading. Cut stems for fresh floral arrangements by cutting just above a leaf node in the morning when stems are turgid.

Fun Facts

🌱 Supertunia petunias are genetically selected hybrid cultivars bred specifically for superior vigor, disease resistance, and continuous blooming—they perform far better than traditional petunias in most climates and require significantly less deadheading.
🌱 The striking picotee pattern (colored edges on white or contrasting base) is a naturally occurring petunia trait that has been selected and refined through generations of breeding to create the crisp purple-white contrast in 'Picasso in Purple.'
🌱 Petunias are native to Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay and were first cultivated by indigenous peoples; modern hybrid petunias are the result of crossing multiple Petunia species beginning in the 1800s.

Gardening Terms

New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:

Annual Cultivar Damping Off Deadhead Full Sun Germination Partial Shade pH True Leaves

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