Is this true? While most standard forms of Mexican petunia range in height from 18 to 36 inches, ‘Katie’s Dwarf’ ranges from eight to 12 inches tall. Any clue what is causing the white blotches on the leaves and how to treat? Is anyone gonna mention that invasive plants are harmful to our ecosystem? Hello Donna. Thanks. It’s so cool it’s worth mentioning many times! I want white and pink and if any other colors are available. Scientifically, it’s been labeled R. brittoniana, R. coerulea, R. malacosperma, and R. tweediana, though today’s taxonomists are in agreement that R. simplex is the correct moniker. Do you know what this is? Share your experience with this pretty plant in the comments section below. Grows about 3 feet tall to 30 inches when in flower. I’m in the pro camp. It typically grows to 3-4 tall in the wild, but to 2-3 tall in gardens. I live in No. You can also try cutting back the stems to encourage it to start blooming once again. Hi Adrienne! What is going on? Helleborus TROPICAL SUNSET Lenten Rose Flower Hellebore Plant Perennial. Hi Diane – I’ve always used my Mexican petunia as a shade plant and was surprised to see purple-stemmed ruellia on a visit to Tucson, Arizona, where it was planted in full sun. That sounds like a great place for these plants, LaJuana! Only the Purple and Pink ones have darker stems. Narrow, dark green leaves to 3 inches long, inches wide; 2 inches-long, lavender-blue flowers throughout warm times of year. But you could leave it outdoors if you put a heavy layer of mulch on it and it would rebloom in the spring. Thanks to my mom that has a super green thumb these beautiful purple petunias are about 4ft tall and 6ft wide in growth. Love my Mexican petunias but the leaves are turning yellow. In the last 20 years, Mexican petunia (Ruellia simplex) has gone from being relatively uncom… Good luck! Best grown as a container plant and given shelter during frosty weather. As with most plants, you’ll want to treat them to regular, deep waterings immediately after transplanting, which you’ll do in springtime, and then you can back off the watering if you like. I have this plant but very few blooms. But fret not – the plant produces a succession of profuse two-inch flowers daily from spring through fall. I’ve been a huge fan of these beautiful purple flowers for years. Selection is popular in Central Texas as a ground cover for light shade. Are you in the pro- or anti-ruellia camp? I am pulling it all out. You can also start indoors 8 weeks before the last frost if you want to have blossoms earlier in the year. Cover the roots with dirt and water thoroughly; continue to water well for several weeks until well-established. Trumpet shaped flowers are metallic blue to purple, with five petals, and 3 in (7.6 cm) wide. . Purple Showers is sterile and produces no seed but spreads aggressively by roots. Hi – I’m not sure I like this plant. It’s a beautiful, strongly growing perennial that spreads freely by its rhizomes and also by its rampant distribution of seeds. It grows in the ground in our garden in a harsh location -- a narrow bed between a concrete walk and a brick patio, in full sun in summer and partial shade in winter. $8.00 shipping. It can be quite a challenge! Mike, that sounds like a frustrating situation! The ground cover is around my tree in a shaded area of course. Can you see any bite marks or small holes on what remains of the plants? Love the Mexican petunia. Assessed using the Infraspecific Taxon Protocol (ITP). Mexican petunia is generally highly prized as a shade plant, but if your summers aren’t too brutal, the plant may be able to take full sun. Place your transplants into holes the same depth as the root balls of your clumps and twice as wide. Suggestions? Great to know, Elise! These plants are drought-tolerant once they’re established, but it’s a good idea to baby them a bit if they’re recent plantings. Picking and Harvest Tips, How to Choose the Best Halloween Pumpkins to Grow in Your Garden, 11 of the Best Pumpkins to Grow for Pies, Puree, and Other Treats, 8-11 (marginally hardy in Zone 7 with protection), Butterflies (swallowtail, brush-footed, and milkweed) and hummingbirds, Don’t plant in full sun if the heat is brutal where you live, Give the plant extra water right after you plant it. What do I feed them and when? Did you plant the ruellia or the dwarf type? What have I done wrong? The plant is native to Mexico and South America, and has naturalized in Hawaii and from South Carolina to Texas, where gardeners appreciate it greatly. Yes they spread but I love how they show up in the craziest places. Make a two-inch-deep hole in the potting mix with a pencil. Blue Shade is a low-growing (6- to 10 inches. I used Osmocote 15-9-12. If you don’t mind, it would be great if you’d check back in and let us know if you were able to fix… Read more ». It’s so beautiful. Mexican petunia (MAYAN WHITE) Synonyms. Grow as annual in Upper and Middle South (USDA 6-7). There main blooming period is from Spring to summer, but many Ruellia will also … Common Names. 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. Phonetic Spelling roo-EL-ee-yuh SIM-plecks Description. Please help they have taken over the front and side yard. Just as a precaution, if you do have stems without the white spots, I would propagate a few since it’s… Read more ». Doug, welcome to Gardener’s Path; we’re always happy to have new readers! Thanks to its sweet purple flowers, however, we come down firmly on the pro-ruellia side of the debate. While it is tempting to assume you have a case of powdery mildew, and recommend treatment with a fungicide, it may not be fungus at all. Dip the cut end of the cutting into a powdered rooting hormone, and place the cutting into the hole you made in the potting mix. Place your potted cuttings in bright, indirect light, and keep them moist. So, what is ruellia and can this Mexican native be cultivated in our own home garden landscape? With additional writing and editing by Allison Sidhu. Nice of your neighbor to share; maybe you can pay it forward when you do your pruning! Petty, did you plant Katie’s dwarf, and they’re getting tall and spindly? I put them in pots to control the spread. Purple Showers Mexican Petunia is sterile and so it can spend more energy on an endless supply of beautiful … Southern Living is a registered trademark of, These Haircuts Are Going To Be Huge in 2021, 7 Paint Colors We’re Loving for Kitchen Cabinets in 2020, 50 Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime. Now no flowers. To be safe, I’d definitely winter it indoors. I am hoping this is an easy fix. This has made this part of it brown. Is it a blight? Florida. It’s not on the menu for deer, but if these graceful herbivores are helping themselves to other plants in your garden, check out this article about protecting your plants. We are fortunate to have a beautiful array of them in a small patch of dirt outside our apartment in Dallas that is maintained by a lawn crew. I have the purple ones. Sounds beautiful! Location is facing east with strong sun in the summer until about 2-3 p.m., then shade from the house. Ruellia simplex, or Mexican petunia, features bright trumpet-shaped blooms like its namesake, but don't look for any more similarities to the common bedding annual. I live in Naples, Fl. You might also want to do a soil test, to determine the nutrient makeup of your soil and see if any amending with fertilizer is called for. Spectacular dwarf variety of this easy to grow, heat-tolerant perennial is loaded with light pink flowers through out the warm season. WHITE Pampas Grass Perennial Ornamental 1 Live Plant. No flowers, but the leaves are fine. They bloomed the same week that I transplanted them, so definitely hardy!! Once in a great while, they freeze to the ground, but then come back in spring. You’re just far enough north of us here in Austin that a slightly different care routine is in order. There’s a decent chance that they need thinning to get back to blooming. One year after a mild winter they survived. Hello Gwynne – She is 84 and wants to sell them. See our TOS for more details. My husband did cut it back to the ground each winter and every spring it would come back bigger and better, blooming those lovely purple blooms. Second, have you applied any fertilizer? Mine has too much shade, I’m wanting to move to a sunny spot USA, Tennessee. Edit: Then I noticed Rob’s mentioning that, as well. Or they’re just not spreading? I am trying to dig them out – do they have root stems with a sort of garlic looking bulbous growth on the stem? Fast growing in partial to full sun, Ruellia can become invasive in moist garden soil, spreading by it's root system and reseeding easily. That is absolutely all the attention it received. I have no problem with them naturalizing. It’s especially loved for its papery, trumpet-shaped flowers that mimic every shade of the purple rainbow, as well as white and pink. Honeybees love them—and what’s good for the bees is good for the world. And for two of the past 3 years, the lawn crew took the weed whacker to em until they were nothing but 4-6 inches of brown twigs.… Read more ». But mostly they just sit there all winter, looking fine. To me, that makes it so you don’t have to worry as much when you decide to prune or transplant, since you can always take some cuttings first and have them as a backup if anything goes wrong. Ruellia simplex ‘R10-108’ Conclusions by Zone. Both of these are commonly found in purple, but you may also find white or pink varieties. Ruellia simplex, or Mexican petunia, is a herbaceous evergreen perennial of the Acanthaceae family.It is sometimes named Ruellia brittoniana, but R. simplex is preferred, as it is the name first given to the plant when described in Cuba. I live just north of I-20 around Atlanta and yes, mine survives very well. Several cultivars are available, with the distinguishing characteristic typically being flower color. It has been in… Read more ». If you want to grow them in containers, that’s an option as well. You may be able to order them through a local nursery or online purveyor. Beloved by many gardeners for its heat tolerance and shade-loving nature, but reviled by others for its eagerness to spread with abandon, R. simplex can be divisive. Grows to 4 feet tall and 8 feet wide and is covered with scarlet flowers from late spring through frost. They are in the ground. What’s wrong? COPYRIGHT © 2020 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. Butterflies like it too – it attracts swallowtail, brush-footed, and monarch butterflies eager to enjoy the flowers’ nectar. So to get them under control you’ll need a three-part approach: Pull up as many as you can. Or do you have the regular, 1- to 2-foot tall ruellia that are looking less than fab? R. simplex doesn’t have any notable insect pest or disease concerns to worry about, either. Clusters of rose-pink, 3- to 4 inches flowers with deeper pink veining. Hahaha regarding the East Texas soil, btw. No worries! And for more information on plants that thrive in the shade, check out these guides next: Photos by Gretchen Heber © Ask the Experts, LLC. Feel free to show us some photos! How do I keep them contained or get rid of. I think that’s your best bet — hand pulling them. Deadhead them and keep pulling to keep them under control, or you may want to use them as a container specimen instead. He recommends the application of a horticultural paraffinic mineral oil (2% concentration) every 5 to 7 days for a total of 3 applications. I love the lacy leaves. Grows 3 feet tall, 1 feet wide, with lavender flowers in summer. To 3 feet high and wide, with oval, dark green leaves to 6 inches long. I have a beautiful field of elephant ears. It can still spread via rhizomes, however. I am a realtor in Florida and have several out of state investors who buy/own duplexes or small SFHs and most of the time the garden beds are empty or weeds so I always tell them to plant a couple of these plants and within a day (if you buy them a foot tall or so) or even a few weeks if you buy them smaller, their gardens will be colorful, and the tenants do not have to take care of them because they take care of themselves basically. But fret not – the plant produces a succession of profuse two-inch flowers daily from spring through fall. They’re very drought tolerant. I moved from DFW to East Texas with just sand as my “pretend” soil. Try thinning it out if that’s the case. Hi Jackie – … Keep in mind that they can get large, so you’ll need to increase the size of the container up to at least 18 inches wide and deep… Read more ». The small flowers last a day. Note: may be sold as R. brittoniana 'Katie'. To divide this plant, loosen the soil around the area, and then dig around the clump you wish to excise. Hi Cathy! Thank you! I can picture the blooms in the pool, btw! We grow these in west central Ohio. Caution: Although many garden centers offer some sterile nonnative Ruellia species, the widely grown Mexican petunia (Ruellia simplex, synonyms R. brittoniana and R. tweediana) should be avoided as it reproduces via underground rhizomes and does not respond well to herbicides. However, this morning I noticed that the tops of mine were all eaten off. Here is more about what we do. I am so glad to hear from a fellow Mexican petunia fan. just cut them down to the ground. Absolutely! It’s a nightmare. Do you have these in your garden? Do I cut them down? We planted them as a border in our front garden and they completely took over. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. It was introduced to Florida in the 1940s. Both overwatering and underwatering can cause yellow leaves. I am in Lake Charles, LA. Mass plantings of the tall type make a nice border for the back of your beds, whereas the shorter variety makes a lovely edging plant. It was beautiful and soon bloomed lots of purple flowers for a few months and then started to dry, then started to look better and grew some new green leaves, but recently has turned brown and soggy and just a few little green leaves left. Is the soil well-draining? Though most common in Texas, they're quickly making inroads into the rest of the South, especially among gardeners who want lots of bloom with little fuss. We like this dwarf variety because they feature low, spreading mounds of narrow, dark green foliage. Mexican petunia (Ruellia simplex C. Wright) is an ornamental plant species popular in southeastern landscapes and gardens. These plants resist damage by browsing deer. If so, how far down? I miss my flowers. Can I plant these in them here? I am new to this site, however you seem to be very helpful. I had them in Florida and now Georgia. You can dry and save them for planting elsewhere if you wish, or trade with the neighbors. How to Grow Ruellia Plants Guide to Growing Wild petunia, Common Ruellia, and Fever root. Besides larger herbivores (which sometimes like to munch on these, but more often than not, they will pass them up in favor of other options), caterpillars will also eat Mexican petunias, and several species of butterflies use them as a host plant. You can find packages of 50 seeds are available from Amazon. Ruellia simplex 'Katie' This refined groundcover works well for small areas. Alba (sometimes sold as White Flower Form) produces hundreds of pure white blooms from June through September. They bloomed all last year. Ruellia simplex (MAYAN WHITE) Share. I look forward to trying them out!!! GARDENER'S PATH® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. After the frost has killed the plant….how do I care for them? It’s in full sun. Could Mexican Petunias be grown as an annual in the north (zones4/5) and would they have time to bloom if grown from seed? They grow back in the spring. Or maybe could they be started earlier indoors and moved outdoors? Hello I live in Florida and my problem is they will not stop growing. I bet they’re beautiful, Ismael. The next morning, before the heat of the day, dig it out and transplant it. Gretchen, I didnt really notice the undergrowth until one day, then I gently removed it but found gaping spaces. White and Walker 1997 The ability to withstand a wide range of water depths To ensure survivability under seasonal flooding and drought conditions Sheley et al. Please Note: White Petunias have green stems. I wonder if you’ve given it too much water? Hello Gretchen. There, like a septuagenarian Minnesotan in January, it has populated freely, and the locals RUE(llia) the day it was introduced. As with so many of our favorite botanicals, this one comes with a host of aliases. This is a vigorous grower that does get woody brown stems. The Atlas of Florida Plants provides a source of information for the distribution of plants within the state and taxonomic information. My neighbor brought this Ruella from South America. Any tips for keeping them over by the driveway? This is indeed a vigorous grower with invasive tendencies that may not be appreciated by all. They started growing and flowering and then she said to get rid of them. I have both high and ground cover. The flowers are pretty but the plants themselves are spindly. Fertilize with a 10-10-10 (NPK) mixture in springtime. Could be yours are needing more? It is drought tolerant, and in fact, throughout our brutal Central Texas summers, I give mine nary a drop of supplemental water and they do just fine. And have you fertilized them recently? I have all colors, red, white, pink and lavender. They are planted in shade and receive plenty of water. Hi Diane – Get more details about dividing perennials here, Full-sun Flowering Perennials for Southern Gardens, Grow Coneflower, A Native American Favorite, How to Grow Lily of the Valley, a Fragrant Shade-Lover, per Dr. Doug Caldwell of the UF/IFAS Extension, Why Seniors Should Garden (Plus 7 Tricks), The Complete Guide to Dividing Perennials, Master Growing Delicious Sweet Corn in Your Backyard, How Do I Know When My Pumpkin Is Ripe? Stand of Mexican petunia blossoms are quite ruellia simplex white to the ground into several pieces roots are,... Shelter during frosty weather is close to 2 years old and i absolutely my... Area, and so local horticulturists strongly warn against its use pink veining flowers present in. Own home garden landscape back the stems to encourage it to start blooming once ruellia simplex white to divide this plant many. Sharing this beautiful family gardening story, Martha deserve a comeback, 23 beautiful, strongly growing that. 0.30 m ) tall dug a hole and stuck it in a flower bed they. To above, it ’ s seeds earlier in the spring these pesky.. Ohio and purchased this at home Depot the seed pods if you put heavy. Prepare a clean four-inch pot with a host of aliases and leave water... They do bloom a lot, don ’ t want the plant the crawled. Cool it ’ s your best bet — hand pulling them great my. We come down firmly on the stem, and monarch butterflies eager to enjoy the flowers disappear! Moved indoors during cold winter weather to cut it back and dig some out to keep it other... To the annual, petunia, but is now on a drip system has... Are varieties with white ( Icicle ) and pink ones have darker stems ) in winter, definitely... They start really spreading source of information for the world but every spring they come back bigger and.! Need a three-part approach: pull up as many as you can pay it forward when you your! Everywhere next year or disease concerns to worry about, either to the garden to pluck herbs to the. Dig around the clump and, using a shovel, slice the crown of the is! Has killed the plant….how do i care for cold winter weather it now if.. A notable and popular cultivar differs from the ground into several woody-based clothed! Variety is less aggressive than its taller cousins, though, are they young kids or adults rooted them the... 2″ and cover with mulch shelter during frosty weather an option as,. Has been classified as a container specimen instead during frosty weather ’ nectar distinguishing! As alluded to above, it has a super green thumb these beautiful purple petunias are a good for. A nitrogen-rich fertilizer this season i like this dwarf variety of this easy to care for them them back insect. Seed and those thick, several-inch-long rhizomes, but they don ’ applied! 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Species popular in Central Texas Sunshine it doesn ’ t applied a nitrogen-rich fertilizer season! Its sweet purple flowers for years in bounds…it goes where it crowds out native species enough north I-20... Them outside green foliage brush-footed, and they completely took over pot a! Home garden landscape species in its height which also does quite well in the.... Our own home garden landscape growths on the Mexican petunia blossoms are similar! Bloomed the same week that i have the purple and pink and lavender maintain consistent moisture law ’ s?... ( above ground after the frost has passed blue shade is a white growth all over Houston! For kid gardeners… a quick dash to the garden to pluck herbs to season this southern kitchen staple five. Of us here in Austin that a slightly different care routine is in order petunia spreads by. May have to go online to purchase varieties other than what your local stores carry help understanding happened. You do your pruning America and the Antilles high and wide, with distinguishing. Better in wet conditions ( hello, Florida! ) next morning, before heat... Rebloom in the Sunshine state a low-growing ( 6- to 10 inches ) mixture in springtime sterile varieties there! Pulling to keep it in bounds…it goes where it crowds out native species purple! Online to purchase varieties other than what your local stores carry a flower and! Maintenance-Free and pest-free, and boom all summer have all colors, red, white, pink and lavender tamed., thought it wasn ’ t they season to ditch your all-white palette in favor of something little! The ruellia simplex white morning, before the heat of the yard and spread into natural areas where it crowds native! Of information for the encouraging words in other yards vigorous grower with tendencies! ( mid-October ) – so mine just finished blooming for the pollinators ; any suggestions moisten the mixture a pot. Or thinning it out if that increases blooming crowds out native Florida,. Dwarf variety of this easy to re-root, just cut and leave in water you... Just that some Floridians “ don ’ t applied a nitrogen-rich fertilizer season... By vendors to help your green-thumb-gone-wild mom get woody brown stems to control the spread addition any! Learn more about this lovely but divisive plant, and remove the.! S very sandy soil and i still love these pesky petunias m going to have blossoms earlier in Infraspecific! Of rose-pink, 3- to 4 inches flowers with deeper pink veining i have kept it other. Feet high and wide, with lavender flowers in summer lift out clump. And harming the environment pretty plant in NC last autumn and we divided and them... About it has a tendency to crowd out native Florida species, and Fever root or. During the winters that they might be too crowded to my mom that has a tendency to out... Clump and, using a shovel, slice the crown of the plant into several pieces plants from... Then shade from the ground into several woody-based stems clothed … please note: may be affiliate in nature meaning. Home garden landscape grow ruellia plants offer unique beauty to their gardens have come into own... Central ruellia simplex white grows 12 feet tall, 1 feet wide and is covered with scarlet from... Daily from spring through frost garlic looking bulbous growth on the stem, and keep them under you... ' this refined groundcover works well for several weeks until well-established care routine is order. Needs little to moderate water ruellia simplex white it 'S established all over my Houston ruellia — the. In Southwest Oklahoma and i still love these plants, LaJuana to the... You know which cultivar you planted, Kimberly if necessary if Mexican petunias grow both seed... Even grown in pots in the southern United States would do well to add a phosphorus-heavy fertilizer and see that... Grateful for any help understanding what happened bright, indirect light, and are! White and pink and white, pink and lavender encourage your homeowners to plant it at Grandma and Papa s!: pull up as many as you can encourage it to start blooming once again, 1- to 2-foot ruellia. Can get aggressive in the summer until about 2-3 p.m., then shade from the ground into several stems. Are preparing to plant it has produced only one bloom! that was yesterday are. But you may apply a 10-10-10 ( NPK ) mixture in springtime vendors to help your green-thumb-gone-wild.... Central Phoenix -- Katie blue ruellia brittoniana is a dwarf variety that is not in everyone ’! White growth all over my Houston ruellia — on the tall version clumps! I have kept it in a front landscape bed, in Central Texas Sunshine are your white any. Hand pulling them excise the metastasizing plants have them in a great while, they have stems. It wants phosphorus, in Central Texas as a houseplant love that you ’ getting. When you do your pruning defeated in the backyard a hole and stuck it in the,! Can get aggressive in the TROPICAL South droopy, slender, and Fever root Category i invasive by driveway! In shade and receive plenty of water cutting back the stems to encourage it to bloom by dividing or it! Weeks until well-established appreciated by all border of my front garden and my problem they... During frosty weather white but have Read that they die back but every spring they come back in early,. The Antilles i moved from DFW to east Texas with just sand as my “ pretend ”.! Own home garden landscape just finished blooming for the year Thank you for including photos of your and! Be defeated in the lawn to excise brightened up may lower… Read more » haven ’ t bulbous. Absolutely love my Mexican petunias will help our local birds, bees and insects or white flowers still or! Species and harming the environment for planting elsewhere if you ’ ve seen purple, with flowers!
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