Since the Million Bells series of calibrachoas came on the market about twenty years ago they’ve come a long way. Often called mini-petunias, the earliest varieties had brittle stems, they tended to become hang in vertical sheets when trailing out of baskets and other containers and soon became bare at the base. They tended to suffer from root diseases and although the flowers came in bright single colours, they were not always very prolific.
Now, things have changed and Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Lemon Slice’ is a fine example of how far calibrachoas have come. Slightly bushy and semi-trailing, the habit is ideal for baskets and other containers. The plants stay well-furnished with foliage and flowers towards the base, are disease resistant, and the stems don’t snap in breeze.
As you can see (above, click to enlarge) the plants are very prolific and this new colour is simply delightful. Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Lemon Slice’ comes in bright yellow with five white flashes and, unlike similar patterns in petunias, the star pattern is very stable in a range of growing conditions. It’s ideal as a specimen in a container by itself, with other calibrachoas, or with the colourful foliage of coleus or oxalis.
To get the best from calibrachoas, grow them in full sun or just a little shade, feed them regularly and don’t let plants become parched.
RHS, Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief of the RHS Encyclopedia of Perennials; writer for a wide range of newspapers and magazines including The Garden and The Plantsman; member of the RHS Herbaceous Plant Committee and Floral Trials Committee; author of many books on plants and gardens.
Source: RHS My Garden – Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Lemon Slice’: Sparkling New Bicolour by Graham Rice
