Petunia Mexican (Tall)
Ruellia simplex
Characteristics
- Type: Perennial
- Zone: 8 – 10
- Height: 3 – 4 Feet
- Spread: 2 – 3 Feet
- Bloom Time: May – September
- Bloom Description: Lavender, Pink, White
- Sun: Full Sun – Part Shade
- Water: Medium – Wet
- Maintenance: Medium
- Flower: Showy
- Attracts: Butterflies
- Tolerates: Drought, Wet Soil
Culture
Petunia Mexican (Tall) is Winter hardy to USDA Zone 8 where it is best grown in medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Best flowering is in full sun. This plant thrives in moist, fertile, humusy but well-drained soils. It is a versatile plant that tolerates an extremely wide range of growing conditions. It thrives as a marginal water plant and in boggy soils. It also does well in average garden soils with even moisture. Established plants have respectable drought tolerance. Plants also tolerate high heat and humidity. Cut back stems after flowering to encourage new flowers. 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.
Noteworthy Characteristics
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. 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. Plants branch from the ground into several woody-based stems clothed with elongated, linear, willow-like, dark green leaves that are often tinged with purple. Tubular, trumpet-shaped, 5-lobed, petunia-like, lavender to violet flowers bloom from the upper leaf axils in loose purple-stemmed clusters. Each flower blooms for only one day Flowers are followed by bean-like pods (to 1” long) which explosively dehisce mature seed in all directions.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Once established in the wild, plants are very difficult to eradicate.
Garden Uses
Excellent annual flowering plant for areas where it is not winter hardy. For USDA Zones 8-10, it may be effectively grown in bog gardens, as a pond marginal, and in beds and borders. Excellent free-blooming plant in large containers. May be grown indoors as a house plant.