Looking like a cross between an ornamental grass and a flowering shrub, this hardy plant flowers every day when placed in a sunny location. This cultivar that is sterile and will not produce seed, but can still spread aggressively by rhizomes and floating pieces of root. It can be significantly invasive in areas such as the Florida where it is has been declared to be a Category 1 invasive species. It also does well in average garden soils with even moisture. Purple Showers is sterile and produces no seed but spreads aggressively by roots. Also known as Purple Showers, the Mexican petunia's flower petals are most commonly a vibrant violet color, but they can also be pink or white. So, what is ruellia and can this Mexican native be cultivated in our own home garden landscape? In the springtime, you can use a garden rake to mix in a fertilizer of choice into the top 2 inches of the soil surrounding the plants. Plants are most invasive in moist areas. Plants will spread by rhizomes and self-seeding in the garden, and have escaped gardens and aggressively naturalized in parts of the southeastern U.S. This plant bears the name ‘Purple Shower’ because it … Plant Categories. The genus Ruellia encompasses about 300 species. They are inexpensive, low maintenance, and drought-resistant. Details. A wonderful container filler is the ‘Purple Showers’ variety of Mexican petunia (Ruellia simplex ‘Purple Showers’ syn. This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors. Purple Showers Mexican Petunia is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Flowers last only one day, but plants often produce an impressive non-stop succession of bloom. Buy Purple Showers Mexican Petunia 'Purple Showers' is an upright and fast growing Mexican petunia that spreads by underground tubers. It is native to Mexico, but has escaped gardens and naturalized somewhat aggressively in parts of the southeastern U. S. from South Carolina to Texas plus Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands. Fast growing in partial to full sun, Ruellia can become invasive in moist garden soil, spreading by it's root system and reseeding easily. These leaves cast a metallic blue color under direct sunlight. Mexican petunias are a favorite plant in the desert, but they also grow well in humid climates. Like daylilies, they only bloom once a day, but continuously bloom throughout the summer. Mexican-petunia (also known as Mexican bluebell or Britton’s petunia) is described as a “hardy perennial edging plant for flower beds and as colorful groundcovers.” Scientific names include Ruellia brittoniana, R. coerulea and R. tweediana, but taxonomists now use the name Ruellia simplex, which was the first name used to describe this species. It is native to Mexico, but has escaped gardens and naturalized somewhat aggressively in parts of the southeastern U. S. from South Carolina to Texas plus Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands. It does very well in wet areas. If you want to speed up the propagating process, you can create new plants from tip cuttings. They can withstand shade and partial shade but will be less productive if planted in these areas. The shrub is considered invasive in the state of Florida and it's on the watch list in several others. This three-foot-tall evergreen shrub bears many tubular, blue or purple, petunia-like flowers on dark stems over a long period. Excellent free-blooming plant in large containers. Straight species plants are rarely sold, but several established cultivars are regularly sold (pink, purple or white flowers in tall and dwarf forms).Genus name honors Jean de la Ruelle (1474-1537), French herbalist and physician to Francois I (1494-1547) who was king of France from 1515 until his death in 1547.Specific epithet of simplex is in reference to the leaves being simple.‘Purple Showers’ is a vigorous, upright, Mexican petunia (also called Mexican blue bell) that typically grows in a clump to 3-4’ tall. Plants branch from the ground into several woody-based stems clothed … The wild form has purple flowers, and is native to Mexico, Western South America and the Antilles. In addition to pots, you can also experiment with more creative vessels like ladder planters, wagons, or even an old bathtub. Plants may spread invasively by self-seeding and rhizomes. Since they grow to be a shrub, medium to larger-sized containers work best. As a fast-growing shrub, they may need to be repotted more frequently than other plants. As a hardy perennial (you only need to plant them once), the Mexican petunia is one of several desert plants that are recommended for warm, dry climates. It has colonies of semi-woody stalks that bear dark green lance-shaped leaves. Once established in the wild, plants are very difficult to eradicate. Ruellia simplex can be grown in either the shade or full sun, and is great for edging or mass plantings. Dip the ends of each stem in rooting hormone, and then plant in pots filled with peat moss and soil. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. From shop CharlesCorner. RUELLIA simplex 'Purple Showers' Plant Common Name. Mexican petunias can be grown in pots. It is a fast grower that may self-seed aggressively. Colesville Nursery. The Garden wouldn't be the Garden without our Members, Donors and Volunteers. Mexican petunias can be started from seed, planting them inside several months before the growing season. Best flowering is in full sun. 2 more photos VIEW GALLERY. Easy to propagate by cuttings, division and seed.‘Purple Showers’ does not produce seed, but will spread by rhizomes where winter hardy. Mexican Petunia is a great backdrop for other plants if you have a large space to cover. Most are native to the tropical and occasionally temperate areas of Africa, Asia and the Americas. This spring, UF/IFAS Extension agents were given the opportunity to try Mayan TM Series Ruellia at their local offices. The cultivar 'Purple Showers' is an upright, floriferous selection of Mexican petunia, a heat tolerant, evergreen subshrub native to the American tropics. There is also no major concern when it comes to pests. While there are other Ruellia cultivars in purple, white, and pink, including some dwarf varieties, we grow ‘Purple Showers’ because it is sterile. The Mexican petunia plant is a fast grower and is used successfully against block walls or to surround and camouflage unpleasant looking electrical boxes and air conditioning units. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series. While it's not mandatory, Mexican petunias benefit from the addition of manure, fertilizer, and compost in their growing areas. Invasiveness is clearly not a problem in St. Louis, however, where these plants are grown as annuals, with stem cuttings overwintered indoors if desired. At this time, R. simplex is the preferred name because it has been determined that this was the name first given to this plant in 1870 when it was described in Cuba, and accordingly that name has priority. "Katie" is a popular dwarf cultivar because it doesn't produce seed pods and therefore is not considered invasive. tall and blooms a purple flower all year long. Shop our Amazon Affilate link to find all of our favorite garden products and support our channel. Cutting back the stems after flowering will encourage new growth and even more blossoms. Mexican petunias will spread quickly and naturally—sometimes aggressively— especially in moist climates. Keep reading to learn more about growing ruellia. It is shorter than other Ruellia cultivars and has adequate branching throughout so as to not look leggy.It blooms regularly and flowers have a nice, purple hue. Once established in their new location, they should grow as normal and perk up when temperatures increase in the spring. $0.00. 5 out of 5 stars (152) 152 reviews $ 34.95. If you want to harvest seeds from your existing plants, remove the seed capsules once they turn brown in the fall. Common Name: Mexican petunia Type: Herbaceous perennial Zone: 8 to 10 Average Rating: Your Name ... our purple showers are beautiful, we live here in florida and they really do great here, we planted them a couple of years ago,and they have just took off, great plant. If growing around an appliance, make sure you leave enough room on one side so it can be accessed for maintenance. To improve drainage in moist beds, consider adding a little sand to the mix. The color of the stems will vary depending on the light conditions—the more light the plant receives, the more purple you will find on their stems. However, Mexican petunia (Ruellia simplex*) has been classified as a highly invasive plant in Florida. Cut back stems after flowering to encourage new flowers. Seeds explosively dehisce. Name: Ruellia Purple Showers Plant Type: shrub Height: 3’-5’ Width: 3’-5’ Light: full sun to part shade Salt: good salt tolerance Deer: will eat Zone: 8-11 Notes: A great plant to use in the landscape if used properly! Even if you live in an arid climate, you can still raise a fantastic garden full of bright and showy Mexican petunias. It is been given a number of different names, including R. brittoniana, R. coerulea, R. malacosperma and R. tweediana. Plants also tolerate high heat and humidity. When you first see a Mexican petunia, you may mistake them for the common annual petunia as their flowers are quite similar. The petunia-like blooms each last only a day - but are replaced the next with more blossoms. Use in a border, container, or at waterside. Tubular, trumpet-shaped, 5-lobed, petunia-like, lavender to violet flowers (to 1.75” long) bloom from the upper leaf axils in loose purple-stemmed clusters (long-stalked cymes). General Description. Ruellia simplex, commonly called Mexican petunia or Texas petunia, is a vigorous, shrubby, woody-based, rhizomatous perennial that is grown as an annual north of USDA Zone 8. Plants branch from the ground into several woody-based stems clothed with elongated, linear, willow-like, dark green leaves (to 6-12” long and ¾” wide) that are often tinged with purple. This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep. It typically grows to 3-4 tall in the wild, but to 2-3 tall in gardens. Judy Hedding is a Phoenix resident and has written more than 1,000 articles about Greater Phoenix and Arizona since 2000. General Description. Mexican petunias do benefit from pruning, especially if they're grown as a hedge. They grow and spread extra quickly in marshy soil, or next to rivers and lakes. It is a versatile plant that tolerates an extremely wide range of growing conditions. Britton's Wild Petunia, Mexican Petunia. Easy to care for and great for use as coverage, ruellia plants offer unique beauty to landscape areas. Leaves are often attractively marked as well. Conifers Crape Myrtles Grasses Groundcovers Perennials Rose Shrubs Trees Vines. If you're concerned about excessive spreading, you can opt to plant a sterile variety of Mexican petunia. Since they can spread at a fast pace, you may consider growing them in a more contained area so they don't end up taking over your entire lawn. Mexican petunia bushes take full sun—the more direct sun they receive, the more flowers will bloom. It thrives as a marginal water plant and in boggy soils. They're unique in that they're drought resistant and yet they also survive floods. Great Companions for RUELLIA 'PURPLE SHOWERS' Magnolia 'Elizabeth' Magnolia. Flowering is very respectable but less frequent when plants are grown as annuals in northern gardens, but will typically bloom from May to September. It was introduced to Florida in the 1940s. Product Description Ruellia is a very easy to grow shrub that reaches 3 to 4 ft in height with purple flowers that constantly bloom from Spring through the Fall. Excellent annual flowering plant for areas where it is not winter hardy. Purple Showers Ruellia is quite adaptable to soil types and moisture levels but will produce the most flowers in a good garden soil with average moisture. Missouri Botanical Garden Plant of Merit. While Mexican petunias will grow in a variety of soil types, they prefer to be planted in well-drained, fertile soil. Like daylilies, they only bloom once a day, but continuously bloom throughout the summer. 'Purple Showers' Mexican Petunia, which is a Ruellia and not a Petunia, is a very versatile and easy-to-grow hardy perennial in USDA Zones 8a-11. Upon a closer look, you may notice the long and thin leaves of the Mexican petunia are quite different from the furry, full and pointed leaves of the annual petunia. Also known as Purple Showers, the Mexican petunia's flower petals are most commonly a vibrant violet color, but they can also be pink or white. Interestingly, the stem of this plant becomes more purple when it’s in bright light, as opposed to when it’s grown in a shady area, where the stem stays fairly green. Ruellia can spread quickly and has been known … In zones north of 8a it can be grown as an annual in flower beds or in containers that can be overwintered indoors. Considered by some experts to be much less invasive than the non-sterile Mexican species. Ruellia brittoniana ‘Purple Showers’). When it comes to soil pH, these plants will survive in alkaline beds, but they most prefer neutral to slightly acidic environments. In fact, the wild variety is not often sold since it can become so problematic. I opted to try the ‘Mayan TM Compact Purple’ cultivar and so far it has been an excellent landscape plant.. View gallery. Cover a large space or disguise unsightly items in the landscape. Large, deep purple flowers form on 2- to 3 feet-tall plants. Special Notice. This plant thrives in moist, fertile, humusy but well-drained soils. Purple Showers Ruellia Texas Peutunia Flowering Perennial Shrub 1 Gal. Mexican petunia is a vigorous (some say aggressive), shrubby, woody-based plant is that is easy to propagate by cuttings, division and seed. Where is this species invasive in the US. 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