Last updated on December 21st, 2024 at 12:05 pm
The Mexican Petunia Plant (Ruellia brittoniana) is sometimes called British Ruellia. It is a fast-growing easy-care perennial for Southwest landscaping. It comes back year after year without any problem. Propagating is a breeze just snip off a stem place it in water and soil and it will grow!
A herbaceous perennial with a showy purple flower blooms for only 2-3 days but it will produce new blooms at the same time. There is no deadheading involved but it will go dormant during the cold winter months.
How tall will the Mexican Petunia grow?
It will grow to about four five ft. in height and about the same width. This plant loves the Southwest heat and can be grown in full sun and partial shade. Placing it where there is lots of water and it will thrive, and it can survive in drought conditions. The butterflies and hummingbirds love this plant they will swarm around it all summer long.
If it does not receive enough water, it will look droopy and sad. Just give it a good watering and it will perk up quickly.
Is this plant invasive?
Yes, it can be. It will grow and produce numerous seeds that will shoot out up to 6 ft. away! However, in and around the lower elevations of the Southwest it is not as invasive as places where the humidity and rain are more prevalent.
The Mexican petunia plant is an easy peasy plant to use in places where you want to cover utility boxes, unsightly poles, or empty dirt spaces.
A cold hardy plant USDA zone 8 – 11.
When is a good time to plant it?
The best time to plant the Mexican Petunia is in early spring. Use seeds or cuttings from another plant to get them going. They will bloom from about late spring until early fall.
Wikipedia has a good article on this plant – See it here. Mexican Petunia
Ruellia is a genus of flowering plants commonly known as ruellias or wild petunias.[2] They are not closely related to petunias (Petunia) although both genera belong to the same euasterid clade. The genus was named in honor of Jean Ruelle, herbalist and physician to Francis I of France
Mexican Petunia Plant
