Notes from The Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Petunias
Petunias: Both a beautiful garden flower and a star of the RNA-focused scientific community. Way back in the 1990s, scientists tried to create deep purple petunias by inserting the gene associated with this colour. Instead, the flowers just came out white!
Further studies into this led to big discoveries concerning RNA interference and gene silencing, for which scientists Andrew Fire and Craig Mello received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. But it all started with the petunias.
Petunia is not a single species, but a genus of flowers that contains around 35 distinct species. They’re all in the Solanaceae family, which also includes plants such as tomato, potato, and deadly nightshade. Almost all petunias have stunning, trumpet-shaped flowers that come in just about every colour under the sun.
The Kitchen Garden
Petunias are a gorgeous addition to any garden, and convenient because you can grow them in a small hanging basket or window container. With care, they can blossom for many months. My daughter planted some pre-grown petunias that we bought at the supermarket in the spring of this year, and they’re still flowering now! I honestly think it will only be the first frosts that finish them off. We just keep removing the dead flowerheads, watering them when it’s warm, and they just keep blossoming!
Bees, butterflies, and moths love petunias, and although I haven’t seen this myself, they may attract the stunning hummingbird hawkmoth. In Brazil, there is a rare, bright red species of petunia called Petunia exserta, which is only pollinated by actual hummingbirds.
While petunias are very pretty, and some up-market chefs may use them as a garnish, do not eat them! They are a member of the nightshade family and, while not highly toxic themselves, could cause allergies or irritation. Some species are more toxic than others, so it’s really not worth taking the risk.
The Apothecary
Many older herbals won’t include petunias, because colonists discovered them in South America in the 1500s but thought they were worthless! It wasn’t until the 19th century that the plants came to Europe, and most species found today both there and in North America are hybrids. However, it’s possible these plants may have been used in South American folk medicine, although one local name, Petun, translated to “worthless tobacco plant,” so perhaps it wasn’t well used at all!
Modern research suggests there may be some potential benefits linked to petunias if the flowers can be preserved correctly to prevent the beneficial compounds from breaking down. Petunias may have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-oedematous, and antioxidant properties.
Of course, modern genetics has much to thank petunias for. RNA interference studies could be leading to a possible treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a degenerative motor neuron disease which currently has no cure.
The Witch’s Kitchen
Petunias are often associated with positivity, a lifted mood, and joy. They represent the seasons of spring and summer and the brighter part of the year. They also connect to persistence, considering their potentially long blooming season.
Because petunias come in so many different colours, magical practitioners can use them for just about any aspect of colour magic. Purple petunias, for example, could represent the spirit, soul energy, creativity, or peace, depending upon the path you follow and your particular associations with that colour.
Petunias are also linked to trust, friendship, intimacy, and familiarity. Possibly the fragile nature of the blossoms themselves lends strength to these associations; while petunias bloom for ages, the flowers themselves bruise easily, even in a heavy rainfall. To me, this represents the need to care for those who are important to you; to shelter them, nurture them, and to guard them from harm.
In Victorian flower language, petunias symbolise a statement that you feel a person suits you well.
Anecdotally, petunias may have represented resentment or anger, but sources for this association are thin on the ground. They may also be used for protection.
A report from the 1970s suggested that some indigenous peoples in Ecuador used Petunia violacea, or Shanin, as a hallucinogen for ritual purposes. In the early 1980s, scientists tried to isolate the hallucinogenic compound, but were unsuccessful. It’s possible that in Incan tradition, petunias were used to guard against otherworldly beings, but again, evidence for this is hard to come by and largely anecdotal.
Home and Hearth
Petunias are a flower that needs sunshine, water, and a little physical care—just like us! They’re a reminder that it’s okay to take time to look after yourself. In fact, it’s essential. Visualise petunias to remind yourself that you bloom in the right conditions, and only you get to say what those conditions are.
Print an image of blooming petunias or, if you’re lucky enough to have some in your garden or a friend’s house, sit with them. Focus on an aspect of your life you’ve been neglecting. Maybe it’s a hobby you want to make more time for. Maybe it’s music. Maybe it’s your skincare regime. Maybe you’ve started struggling at work—or maybe you actually want a completely new job. Get what you want to change in your mind.
Focus on the flowers. Look how pretty they are; how bright. Remind yourself that they didn’t get like this without help. They need good soil. Room to grow. Sunlight. Water. They need someone to remove the dried-up flowerheads and let the new ones blossom.
Close your eyes. Breathe normally. As you relax into this moment, think about what you need in order to achieve your blooming. What will let you blossom? Is it time? Space? A change of routine? Help from others? Let your mind wander around the problem while you relax with the petunias.
Take as long as you need on this exercise then note your thoughts in a journal, and pick at least one change, no matter how small, that you can make in your life right now to work towards the change you want to see.
I Never Knew…
Double petunias, a variety which has many more petals that are all overlapped, were perfected by Japanese plant breeders in the 1930s. Prior to this, the plants had only bloomed like this by chance, but this discovery means that today, anyone can breed these lush petunias.
*Image credits
Purple petunias photo by Stefan Spassov on Unsplash
Purple and pink petunias in a hanging basket by Mabh Savage, copyright 2023 ©
Multicoloured petunia blossoms in a person’s hand photo by Rebecca Niver on Unsplash
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About the Author:
Mabh Savage is a Pagan author, poet and musician, as well as a freelance journalist and content creator. She’s a nature-based witch, obsessed with Irish and British Paganism and Folklore, plus she’s a massive plant nerd. She’s also a long-time Hekate devotee and a newbie Lokean. She works extensively with the UK Pagan Federation, including editing their bi-annual children’s magazine. Mabh is a passionate environmentalist and an advocate for inclusiveness and positive social transformation.
Mabh is the author of A Modern Celt: Seeking the Ancestors, Pagan Portals – Celtic Witchcraft: Modern Witchcraft Meets Celtic Ways, and most recently, Practically Pagan: An Alternative Guide to Planet Friendly Living. Search “Mabh Savage” on Spotify and @Mabherick on all socials.
