Calibrachoa [Million Bells Trailing Topaz] Calibrachoa Million Bells Trailing Topaz = 'Sunbelrikubu' (PBR) (Million Bells Series)

👤 Non-toxic to humans

🐾 Non-toxic to pets

🌸 Blooming

🍪 Not edible

‍🌱 Easy-care

calibrachoa [Million Bells Trailing Topaz]

ABOUT

[Million Bells Trailing Topaz] is an evergreen perennial usually grown as an annual. It has trailing stems and small, simple leaves. Purple flowers, darker towards the centre, with a yellow throat, are produced over a long period in summer and autumn

Plant Info

Care

Common Problems

About this plant

Names
- Synonyms
  Million Bells, Mini Petunia, Trailing Petunia
- Common names
  Calibrachoa Million Bells Trailing Topaz = 'Sunbelrikubu' (PBR) (Million Bells Series)
Characteristics
- Life cycle
  Annuals
- Foliage type
  Evergreen
- Color of leaves
  Green
- Flower color
  Yellow
- Height
  1 foot (30 cm)
- Spread
  2 feet (60 cm)
- Plant type
  Herb
- Hardiness zones
  9
- Native area
  South America

Benefits

General Benefits
- Easy to Grow: Million Bells are known for their ease of cultivation, making them suitable for gardeners of all levels.
- Continuous Blooming: The plant flowers prolifically throughout the growing season without the need for deadheading.
- Drought Tolerant: Once established, Million Bells can tolerate periods of dryness, reducing the need for frequent watering.
- Versatile Use: Ideal for hanging baskets, containers, and window boxes due to its trailing habit.
- Attracts Pollinators: The vibrant flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees to your garden, promoting pollination.
- Colorful Display: Offers a range of colors, adding visual interest and aesthetic appeal to garden spaces.
- Low Maintenance: Requires minimal care apart from regular watering and occasional feeding, making it ideal for busy gardeners.
- Compact Growth: Its contained growth habit makes it a good choice for small gardens and spaces.
- Heat Tolerant: The plant can withstand high temperatures, making it suitable for warm climates or hot summer regions.
- Fast Growing: Million Bells grow quickly, providing swift coverage and instant impact in garden displays.
Medical Properties
This plant is not used for medical purposes.
Air-purifying Qualities
This plant is not specifically known for air purifying qualities.
Other Uses
- Photography Projects: The vibrant colors of Calibrachoa Million Bells can be used to create stunning macro photography compositions, accentuating the delicate gradients and textures of the flowers.
- Artistic Inspiration: Artists can use the plant as a live model to draw and paint botanical artwork, capturing the delicate shapes and bright hues of the blooms.
- Educational Tool: Calibrachoa Million Bells can serve as an example in educational settings to teach about plant biology, hybridization, and breeding for specific traits like color and trailing growth habit.
- Fairy Gardens: The trailing nature and small size of this plant make it an ideal addition to whimsical fairy gardens, adding a splash of color and enhancing the miniature scale setting.
- Colorful Mulch Alternative: Deadheaded blossoms from the plant can be scattered on top of soil in pots or beds to add color and act as a light, organic mulch layer.
- Flower Arranging Classes: The Calibrachoa Million Bells can be used in floral design classes to demonstrate how to incorporate trailing elements into bouquets and arrangements.
- Garden Mood Enhancement: Planting Calibrachoa Million Bells in areas where people seek relaxation, such as meditation gardens, can uplift mood with their bright and cheery appearance.
- Living Jewelry: The petite flowers can be delicately used to create living jewelry pieces like earrings or necklaces for special events or as an expression of sustainable fashion.
- Sensory Gardens: They can be used in sensory gardens designed for therapeutic horticulture activities, offering not only visual but also tactile experiences.
- Seasonal Crafts: The colorful flowers can be pressed and preserved to make handmade bookmarks, greeting cards, or other paper crafts for a personal touch in gifts or décor.

Interesting Facts

Feng Shui
Million Bells, with their lively energy and abundant flowers, can be used to introduce vibrant chi to a space, especially in areas that need an uplift in energy, like the creativity and children sector (west), or to enhance the wealth sector (southeast) by using purple or gold-colored Million Bells as these colours are associated with prosperity.
Zodiac Sign Compitability
Million Bells is not used in astrology practice.
Plant Symbolism
- Abundance: As the common name "Million Bells" suggests, the sheer number of flowers produced symbolizes abundance and profusion.
- Joy and Happiness: The bright and cheerful flowers of Calibrachoa can symbolize joy and happiness, bringing a positive aura to gardens and living spaces.
- Endurance: Million Bells are known for their ability to bloom throughout the growing season, representing endurance and perseverance.

💧

Every 1-2 days

Water

☀️

2500 - 10000 Lux

Light

💦️

50%

Humidity

🪴

Every year

Repotting

🌱️

Spring to early summer

Propogation

✂️️

As needed

Pruning

Water
Million Bells prefer consistent moisture and should be watered when the top inch of soil feels dry. Water them thoroughly until water runs out of the bottom of the container, equating to approximately 1 gallon per week for a hanging basket, depending on weather conditions. During hot summer days, they may need watering daily to maintain moist soil, whereas, in cooler weather, less frequent watering is required. Always avoid letting the plants sit in water as this can lead to root rot.
Light
Million Bells thrive in full sun to partial shade. They perform best when placed in a location where they can receive at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. If grown indoors, a south-facing window or a spot with bright, indirect light is ideal. Avoid deep shade, as insufficient light can result in fewer flowers and leggy growth.
Temperature
Million Bells are heat tolerant and prefer warmer temperatures, thriving between 55°F and 85°F. They can withstand brief periods outside this range, but frost can be detrimental. Ideally, avoid exposing them to temperatures below 50°F or above 90°F for extended periods to prevent stress and damage to the plants.
Pruning
Prune Million Bells to encourage bushier growth and more blooms. Pinch back the stems every few weeks or when the plant starts to look leggy. The best time for pruning is in the mid-summer to rejuvenate the plant for a new flush of flowers. Regular pruning also helps to prevent the plant from becoming too long and sparse.
Cleaning
As needed
Soil
Million Bells prefer a well-draining potting mix enriched with peat moss or a soilless medium. A pH between 5.5 and 6.0 is ideal for optimal growth and flowering.
Repotting
Million Bells should be repotted annually to refresh the soil and provide room for growth; do this in the spring just before the growing season begins.
Humidity & Misting
Million Bells thrive at average to high humidity levels but are adaptable to less humid conditions as long as they are not overly dry.
Suitable locations
- Indoor
  Place Million Bells in bright, indirect light indoors.
- Outdoor
  Plant Million Bells in full to partial sun outdoors.
- Hardiness zone
  9-11 USDA
Life cycle
The life cycle of the Calibrachoa 'Million Bells' begins with the germination of seeds, which requires warm temperatures and light. Once sprouted, the seedlings establish a root system and develop foliage in a vegetative growth stage, thriving in full sun conditions. As the plant matures, it enters a vigorous flowering stage, producing abundant small, petunia-like flowers continuously throughout the growing season, particularly thriving in spring and summer. Following the flowering phase, pollination occurs, potentially with the assistance of insects, leading to seed development if the conditions are right. As the growing season ends, especially in non-tropical regions, the Calibrachoa 'Million Bells' may enter a period of dormancy or die, depending on whether it is treated as an annual or perennial, with the cycle potentially restarting from seeds or cuttings. Care through the life cycle involves regular watering, feeding with a balanced fertilizer, and occasional pruning to spur new growth and flowers.
Propogation
- Propogation time
  Spring to early summer
- The most popular method of propagation for the Calibrachoa 'Million Bells' is through softwood cuttings. This is often done in late spring or early summer when the plant is actively growing. To propagate, a gardener would take a 3 to 6 inch cutting from a healthy, non-flowering stem, strip the leaves from the lower half, and then dip the cut end into a rooting hormone. Next, the cutting is placed into a well-draining soil mix, ensuring the leaf-less part is buried. The soil should be kept consistently moist, but not waterlogged, and the cutting should be placed in indirect light until roots have developed, which usually takes a few weeks. Once rooted, the plants can be transplanted into individual pots or directly into the garden.