Gardeners like to play the, “If you could have only one plant, what would it be?” game. The question invariably becomes qualified with phrases like, only one annual or flower or vine. Next time you find yourself in this illogical dilemma, consider Calibrachoa.
Calibrachoa Superbells® ‘Grape Punch’ is a new cultivar out in 2012.
Juncus, an ornamental rush with a corkscrew form, gives a combination of yellow Calibrachoa and purple Petunia plants vertical structure.
Calibrachoa Superbells® ‘Cherry Star’ is a new cultivar out in 2012.
Calibrachoa is a trailing plant covered along its lengthy stems with petite tubular blooms, sure to remind gardeners of miniaturized petunias. Calibrachoa plants are also called million bells, grown in a variety of colors and a rambling plant habit that works against even the most symmetrical plant form.
Potted Combinations Using Trailing Annual Calibrachoa
Calibrachoa seems made for potted combinations showing off its tendency to spill over the edge with little effort. In a garden bed, this annual will easily weave its way around neighboring plants but does not have an aggressive attitude. The horizontal stems may reach 3 feet long but the plant habit rarely reaches 6 inches tall.
Calibrachoa hybrids like ‘Terra Cotta’, ‘Apricot Punch’, ‘Dreamsicle’ or ‘Tequila Sunrise’ develop flower colors ranging from yellow, bronze and apricot to red. In time, as the blooms age, the colors meld; it is for this reason these cultivars are appreciated.
Although Calibrachoa and Petunia flower forms are similar, the Petunia is larger while Calibrachoa is self-cleaning with petals that avoid the soggy-tissue syndrome. Choose complementary colors of each type of plant and a grassy ornamental for a long-lasting summer combination.
In a cottage garden where a temporary filler is needed or in a perennial bed of daylilies, for instance, million bells will quickly take up space between ground covers.
Calibrachoa grows best in full sun, will flower slightly less in lower light locations, likes hot weather and requires well-amended soil that drains efficiently to avoid roots sitting in water. It is for this reason that million bells are planted in raised beds or container gardens where drying out the soil is more easily accomplished.
New and Improved Superbells for 2012
In 2012, Proven Winners will add three new Superbells® to their selection for gardeners. Superbells®, PW’s name for one of their series of Calibrachoa, will include ‘Grape Punch’, ‘Sweet Tart’ and ‘Cherry Star’:
• ‘Grape Punch’ has a pure purple color with a narrower band of black, compared to last year’s ‘Blackberry Punch’.
• ‘Cherry Star’ has a deep iridescent rose marked by lines issuing from the flower’s yellow throat.
• ‘Sweet Tart’ has a pronounced yellow throat on a pink background that graduates from deep rose to pale pink as the blooms mature.
Next spring, an improved version of Calibrachoa Superbells® ‘Tequila Sunrise’ will grow without its wild appearance, in keeping with a more manicured appearance being developed in Superbells® varieties.
Calibrachoa Related to Petunias and Tomatoes
Calibrachoa is in the Solanaceae family, cousins to petunias and vegetables like tomatoes and eggplant. More often grown as an annual, it became popular among gardeners in the early 1990s when million bells was grown and appreciated for its haphazard rambling. Technically a tender perennial, it is a hardy plant in Zones 9 to 11.
Million bells easily fills up a hanging basket or window box with the cascading branches. In a large container, it is a spiller that readily complements tall colorful coleus or big-leaved tropical plants.
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Photography by Chris Eirschele.)
Chris Eirschele is a garden writer whose work is featured in print and on the web, most notably at Suite101. She is a member of the Garden Writers Association and Perennial Plant Association.
COMMENTS