The Curation of Calibrachoas

With Calibrachoas, what you leave out is as important as what you keep in

Back in the 90s, the Calibrachoa wasn’t much to talk about but a few decades later it has become a major category in the industry. Big name players field their own teams of singles, doubles, and patterns, and each breeding program has its own particular focus. They work nationally but we, the growers, work locally. For example, Calibrachoas bred for the North don’t require heat tolerance, whereas the Southern ones must tolerate low spring temperatures and wet conditions. Here in Cincinnati, we take a blend of the two—what works for one region doesn’t always work for us here. Still, it’s important to get this plant group right because the people who like Calibrachoas keep coming back for them.

Climate is just one of several hoops a plant needs to jump through—we pick and choose specific cultivars to perform important tasks for our buyers. Calibrachoa has two significant jobs these days: filler in hanging baskets and component for other projects large and small. Not all varieties do this well, so what you don’t grow becomes as important as what you do grow. Once you understand our curation process you will understand how to use our Calibrachoa to achieve your business and creative goals.

Variegation has a naturally artistic paint splatter appearance

We have started working with a new Ivy—it is not listed in the catalog. ‘Kolibri Mint’ is different because it combines a dark green gloss with a bright white variegation. Usually, variegated Ivy is a paler green with a more matte surface than its solid kin, but this one has the deep, dark, glossy-shiny surface that comes with solid green varieties like ‘Baltic’.

Although the leaves don’t ruffle, they don’t lie flat, either. These leaves have a mild curl to them, so the sprigs have a bumpy quality. ‘Kolibri Mint’ was introduced in 1986 in Denmark, but it tends to fly under the radar these days.

Leaves don’t ruffle but they don’t lie flat, either

As you might expect, the variegation fluctuates on the leaves resulting in a kind of paint splatter appearance. They emerge with a golden tint and then brighten to almost pure white as they age, so the effect is quite artistic in nature. If you use Ivy as an accent in your containers or plantings, this is a good choice. It’s mildly hardy in our area (zone 6).

‘Kolibri Mint’ is available in the 1801 flat.

‘Las Vegas Purple’—tightly packed florets in brilliant purple

Gomphrena has become a fast favorite—the flowers are long lasting and look beautiful in the sun, plants have great heat tolerance, and blooms keep coming all summer. ‘Las Vegas Purple’ in particular has very full flowers with tightly packed florets of deep, inky purple and tiny flecks of creamy white. We combine these with Marigolds, Petunias, and/or Angelonia for striking contrast of color, shape, and texture. It’s also effective in large sweeping drifts for meadows—very low-maintenance.

‘Las Vegas Purple’ is available in the 1801L and 6-inch pot.