On Gardening: Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid garners Petunia of the Year

Norman Winter, Tribune News Service on Dec 29, 2025

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Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid petunia has only been out for a couple of years and is already lining the trophy case. Now it has been chosen as Proven Winners' "Petunia of the Year" for 2026. Indeed, it is living up to that Hoopla name.

The Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid is a novelty for sure with its purple picotee pattern and white margins. It is 6 to 12 inches tall and has a 24-inch-wide habit that perseveres through the long hot summer. It received a Perfect Score at University of Tennessee and University of Minnesota.

The Garden Guy is always paying attention to what flowers attract pollinators, mainly butterflies. The two years I have been trailing Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid, it has been among the best petunias to attract swallowtails. The Spicebush Swallowtail and the yellow Eastern Tiger Swallowtail have Hoopla Vivid Orchid petunia on the regular meal plan.

As you might guess, the orchid is sizzling with its complementary color, yellow. A raised bed with Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid partnered with Supertunia Saffron Finch is guaranteed to bring out the cameras. Son James did something similar but in a large window box. He used Hoopla Vivid Orchid intertwined with Mini Vista Yellow.

Neighbors Dave and Cynthia combined their Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid with Solenia Yellow begonia, Superbells Yellow and Augusta Lavender heliotrope for what may be a perfect split complementary color scheme.

Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid plays a vital role in one of Proven Winners' "Recipe of the Year" selections for 2026 called Moonlit Lavender. Moonlit Lavender features Superbena Violet Ice verbena, Supertunia Mini Vista White petunia and the star of this column, Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid petunia.

These three plants are all award-winners and bring to the design a total of 34 awards. In other words, it’s a can’t lose recipe. There is one other fun aspect of the design courtesy of the Supertunia Mini Vista White petunia. It fits the Pantone "Color of the Year" for 2026, Cloud Dancer.

Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid as well as the recipe plants need plenty of sun and fertile organic rich soil. They all thrive in beds or containers whether they are baskets, window boxes or ceramic containers. Good lightweight potting soil or the addition of raised bed mixes to the landscape will secure your green thumb award.

You will want to keep your plants well-fed. I feed container plants with a water-soluble mix every 2 to 3 weeks. In Georgia we water most every day, which guarantees a quick leaching of nutrients. Those in beds don’t leach nutrients as quickly so I feed with controlled release granules every 4 to 6 weeks. One other important task is trimming with a sharp pair of shears or scissors when plants look tired and unproductive. This is usually in August, but let the plants tell you; it could be earlier.

The new year looks so exciting with new plants, recipes and ideas. I hope you will follow me on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy for more photos and garden inspiration.

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(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)

(NOTE TO EDITORS: Norman Winter receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.)