Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' (Supertunia Royal Velvet) care

Light

Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' needs sun on the leaves, not just bright ambient room light. Full sun, 6+ hours daily, gives the densest growth and deepest flower colour. In shade the plant stretches, grows sparse and flowers poorly; more direct sun yields a fuller, richer display. A south or west-facing windowsill in the northern hemisphere is the default; anywhere else, expect the plant to stretch and pale out within a season.

Watering

Water petunia 'supertunia royal velvet' when the top 2-3cm of soil is dry, frequently daily for containers in summer. The actual day count varies with pot size, light, and season — the finger test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) is more reliable than a fixed calendar. Empty any drainage saucer afterwards so the pot isn't sitting in water. Keep evenly moist; its vigour and bloom load mean high water demand, with baskets and pots sometimes needing watering once or twice a day. Avoid drought stress and standing water alike, as wet roots invite rot.

Soil and pot

Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' grows best in rich, well-drained, slightly acidic potting mix or loam. Use fertile, free-draining multipurpose compost in containers or improved garden soil, ideally pH 5.5-6.5. Sharp drainage prevents root rot; amend heavy soils with organic matter and grit. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' sits happiest at around Outdoor ambient humidity and 10-29°C (50-85°F). A container/bedding annual with no specific humidity requirement. It handles normal outdoor conditions, though persistent humid, wet weather can promote grey mould on aging flowers. If you keep the room above 10 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed petunia 'supertunia royal velvet' sparingly. A heavy feeder. Add controlled-release fertiliser at planting and feed weekly with a balanced or high-potash water-soluble fertiliser. Underfeeding produces pale, hungry foliage and stalls flowering; consistent feeding keeps the velvety bloom coming all season. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on petunia 'supertunia royal velvet' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Yellowing, hungry foliage — As a heavy feeder it pales and stops blooming if underfed; iron chlorosis (yellowing between veins) is common in cool, wet, or high-pH conditions. Feed regularly and correct iron and pH as needed.
• Drying out fast — Vigorous trailing growth dries baskets and pots quickly in heat, causing wilt. Water consistently, sometimes twice daily, in moisture-retentive compost.
• Botrytis / grey mould — Wet, humid spells rot spent flowers despite its self-cleaning habit. Improve airflow, remove mushy blooms, and water at soil level.
• Budworm and aphids — Tobacco budworm caterpillars bore into buds and aphids infest soft new growth. Monitor regularly and treat with insecticidal soap or appropriate controls.

Propagation

A patented vegetative cultivar (PP12,415) that may not legally be propagated for sale; for personal use it roots easily from soft-stem cuttings in moist, free-draining mix. It does not come true from seed. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' is pet-safe. ASPCA-listed as non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses (listed as Petunia species). Eating it may cause minor, temporary stomach upset like any non-toxic plant, but petunias contain no known toxic compound. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of petunia 'supertunia royal velvet' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' watering schedule
• Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' light requirements
• Best soil mix for petunia 'supertunia royal velvet'
• Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' fertilizing guide
• When to repot petunia 'supertunia royal velvet'
• How to propagate petunia 'supertunia royal velvet'
• Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' growth rate & size
• Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' cold hardiness
• Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' temperature & humidity
• Is petunia 'supertunia royal velvet' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is petunia 'supertunia royal velvet' toxic to cats?
• Is petunia 'supertunia royal velvet' toxic to dogs?
• Getting petunia 'supertunia royal velvet' to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' qualifies for 13 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best trailing & climbing houseplants — Vining and trailing houseplants for shelves, hanging pots, and moss poles — selected by growth habit.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best pet-safe trailing & hanging plants — Trailing and climbing plants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe for shelves and hanging pots in a pet home.
• Best pet-safe low-maintenance plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and forgiving of forgotten watering — the easiest safe choices for a busy pet household.
• Best pet-safe flowering plants — Flowering houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — colour and blooms in a pet home, without the worry.
• Best pet-safe plants for bright light — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in a bright, sunny spot — safe plants for your best-lit windowsill.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
• Best fast-growing houseplants — Houseplants documented as fast or vigorous growers — quick to fill a pot, cover a pole or trail down a shelf.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet' is also commonly called Supertunia Royal Velvet or Velvet Purple Petunia.

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