Do you know what a Petchoa is? Neither did I until this last week. I have grown especially fond of Petunias over the last few years as their colors and varieties continue to get more and more vivid. I am now finding out that many of these are a cross between the smaller Calibrachoa (commonly known as Million Bells) and Petunias.
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| Sunset Orange |
These hybrids first came to the market in 2013 and were patented by a nursery in California with the series were named Calitunias. Although others have bought into the trend, the buzz word for them are now called Super Cals at many garden centers and they are lined up right beside their sister Petunia plants.
They are said to bring out the best traits of both flowers. They tend to trail more than a standard Petunia and fill out baskets better. They also lack much of the fuzzy nature of Petunias and like the Million Bell, do not need to be dead headed to perpetuate more growth. They are also able to withstand both ends of the temperature spectrum better, cool temps in Fall & Spring and the hot spells of midsummer. Because they do not seed, they also have a longer growing season by not bearing. (I have never understood this botanical phenomenon - if they don't seed, how do we get more plants the next season?)
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| Sunray Pink |
But for me, the biggest selling point is the bump in color. By nature, the Calibrachoas have always been brighter and in a wider color spectrum. The flowers themselves are around the same size as the Petunia but with prettier, scalloped edges. This has brought in trends of Golds, Rust and even Browns that just did not exist before. In planters, one of my favorite pairings are the addition to bight Coleus leaves besides these blooms. Add in a patio Dahlia and some tall Salvia and that is all you need. The next time you are in your Garden Center, do a side-by-side comparison and tell me what you think?
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| Coral Star |
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| Red Maple |
