A life of its own

Selecta first showcased Night Sky Petunia at the 2015 California Spring Trials as an experimental and offered a limited launch that year. Since then, the plant, which boasts a speckled pattern reminiscent of stars in an evening sky, has “taken a life of its own,” says Gary Vollmer, product and technical manager at Selecta North America. The plant created a buzz at spring trials and also on social media feeds, and apparently its celebrity status expanded outside of the industry. Search Night Sky on the internet, and you’ll find an array of products featuring images of the plant, including cell phone covers, bed sheets and coffee mugs. Night Sky has seen “an explosion of excitement we haven’t experienced before,” Vollmer says. The petunia is a 2017 introduction. During the past year, the company has been experimenting with the constellation pattern, which is unstable, making it a challenge but also special, as each petal is unique.