by Lydia Holley August 14, 2023
Mexican petunia, Ruellia simplex, has a reputation for being too aggressive, overtaking entire garden areas by spreading both underground and through seed, escaping garden settings, and being hard to eradicate. Native to Mexico, South and Central America, it is listed as invasive in Florida.
Of course, Mexican petunia has several outstanding qualities, and the reason many gardeners choose to put it in their gardens. It is tolerant of both drought and wet conditions, takes heat and humidity well, and the flowers attract butterflies.
If you like those qualities but are concerned about adding a plant monster into your garden, there are Ruellias which will give you the butterfly-attracting flower without the horrors of invasiveness.
Perhaps the most popular of the well-tamed Ruellias are the dwarfs ‘Katie Blue’ and ‘Katie Pink.’ I have both in my garden and love them both. They seed themselves, but not abundantly. Each plant grows wider, but does not seem to spread much by its roots, which is often the sign of a plant which can get out of control. The dwarf Ruellias are listed as Texas Superstars because they are so easy to grow and flower all summer long.
I have also had Ruellia ‘Blue Shade’ in my garden for a number of years, a low-growing cultivar of R. squarrosa, which is native to South America. It is a groundcover, but is not too aggressive, even though it spreads by underground rhizomes. It does best in shade, so it does not flower as well as other Ruellias grown in sun. Still, it is pretty enough without flowers.
What is less well known is that, according to the USDA, there are 27 species of Ruellias, of which 12 are native to Texas. Some of the more popular native Ruellias are: Carolina Petunia, R. caroliniensis; Prairie Petunia, R. humilis; Violet Ruellia, R. nudiflora; and Stalked Wild Petunia, R. pedunculata. Some of these are host plants to various butterflies.
So, if you are wanting to add Ruellia to your garden but have been afraid to, just look for the right one for your needs. You will be happy to have it, and the butterflies will be thrilled to see it.
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