Superbells® Pink Gem
Calibrachoa
Calibrachoa hybrid
You’ve heard of Supertunias® and Million Bells®, but you’ve never heard of Superbells, a new line of Calibrachoa from Proven Winners. This new line of hybrid Calibrachoa takes an old favorite to a new level. Developed and selected for their large flowers, their resistance to Thielaviopsis, and their strong summer performance, these Calibrachoa are truly Superbells. Growth habit is a prostrate form that will give them a new stature when planted alone or in combinations. They’re well-suited to containers, patios, or in the garden.
The series is bred for heat and low water tolerance – trialed for two years before selection in California, Michigan, New Hampshire, Florida, Germany, and tropical Japan. Each year there are over 3000 potential selections and though many are beautiful, selections are usually around 1-2 per year. Additional selection criteria include garden performance, disease resistance for the root rot diseases, tolerance to a wide pH range, tolerance to a wide variety of environmental conditions, and early flowering combined with continuous bloom through the spring and summer.
Calibrachoa has not been a part of our industry for very long; the first plants were taxonomically described in 1989 and the first cultivars released in 1992. The original plants were found in coastal areas clinging to rocks and surviving in some pretty harsh conditions, they so much resembled Petunias that they were originally referred to as ‘Seashore Petunias’. Since their release in the early 90’s this crop has grown faster than most other genera and become a major crop in its own right. The family tree of this genus reaches deep down into Latin America; almost all species can be found in either in Argentina, Brazil, or Uruguay. There are about 25 known species of this plant and the breeding of Calibrachoa is a complicated matter of finding which species will cross with the next. They do not all work and it takes a breeder of great skill to come up with all the best crosses that give not only all the disease, heat, and drought tolerance that the original species offer but also offer the best in production characteristics, growth habit, and come close to being daylength neutral as it is all of these characteristics that make for a successful release on the market. Proven Winners has always worked with the world’s premier breeder of Calibrachoa and continues to search for the plants which exhibit superior consumer performance, disease resistance, and above all keep raising the bar on what we can expect from this fantastic genus of plants.
"A Real Simple magazine – Top 10 goofproof Plant"
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Features Attracts Hummingbirds Deadheading Not Necessary Fall Interest Heat Tolerant Needs Good Drainage Pet Friendly Ornamental CharacteristicsFlower ColorPink Foliage Color Green Height 6-10" (Short) Spacing 8-10" Habit Mounded Trails Up To 36 Container Plant Style Filler - Intermingles well with other plants to fill in the middle ground of a combination Patent InformationSuperbells® Pink Gem 'USCAL48804' US PPAF; Can. PBRAF |
Plant NeedsDurationAnnual Bloom Time Planting to Hard Frost Zone(s) Annual except in zones 9 - 11 Hardy Temp 30°F (-1°C) Exposure Full sun Water Needs Normal Maintenance Easy Uses Containers Calibrachoa do not like to have constantly damp soil. They will do well in the ground only with good drainage. For most gardeners containers are the best use for Calibrachoa. |
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Growing Tips Keeping plants too wet can lead to root rot diseases. Allow the top of the soil to dry before watering again. If your plant is wilting even though the soil is still damp you likely have a root rot problem. Self-cleaning, no deadheading necessary. The series is bred for heat and low water tolerance – trialed for two years before selection in California, Michigan, New Hampshire, Florida, Germany, and tropical Japan. Each year there are over 3000 potential selections and though many are beautiful, selections are usually around 1-2 per year. Additional selection criteria include garden performance, disease resistance for the root rot diseases, tolerance to a wide pH range, tolerance to a wide variety of environmental conditions, and early flowering combined with continuous bloom through the spring and summer. |
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