PlantFiles: Calibrachoa, Million Bells
Calibrachoa 'Celebration Red'

I bought this annual to underplant around my plumies and they seem to co-exist happily. After experiencing success with the red, I have gone on to buy other colors to use as fillers in my summer pots.

Love this plant! Mine is in a container and has really done well. I loved it so much that I was inspired to buy 6 more (of different varieties and colors) and they have all done well!

Small petunia-like bloom profusely over trailing plants. Rapid-grwoing and heat-tolerant. Plant in full sun where heat is not extreme, mine had a hard time last summer due to temps in the 80's 100's.

Although I have to grow calibrachia as an annual here in zone 5, it is still an important part of my gardens each year. The cherry is probably my favorite and I use it year after year along with the purple hybrid. They are usually one of the first things I plant in May, and one of the last things to die off in October. Their ability to withstand light frosts makes them a real asset here, as we have had frosts as late as the end of May and as early as August.

I find that calibrachoa does best for me in planters in rich, potting soil, full sun and average water conditions. It has only failed to grow for me 1 year and that was 2004, when our rainfall exceeded 6+ inches every month from May - August and temperatures averaged in the 70's only during June and July. The plants in in planters seemed to die out about late July preceded by those actually planted in the gardens - they didn't last much past the end of June. I believe that July was the month that we had over 7" of rain. Terrible year - none of the gardens or planters had time to dry even slightly between rains.

This does not discourage me from using these flowers again next year - 2004 just a bad growing season all around!