A unique asset of plants is the possibility to perform interspecific crosses that give fertile offspring. This allows the genetic analysis of a much wider variety of traits than is possible in animal systems. The genus Petunia comprises of closely related species with distinct hawkmoth, bee and hummingbird pollination syndromes.

Most interspecific crosses are possible in the laboratory, but in the wild, geographic isolation and pollinator preference are the main factors that limit or prevent hybridization. In combination with the availability of genetic and molecular tools, this makes Petunia an attractive model system to study the molecular-genetic basis of pollination syndromes and the coevolution of these syndromes with pollinator behaviour.