Last updated on January 23rd, 2025 at 07:24 am
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!
Mexican Petunia Plant is easy to 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. It is native to Mexico and South America.
How tall will the Mexican Petunia grow?
It will grow to about four or 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 will help it thrive and survive in drought conditions. The butterflies and hummingbirds love this plant, and they will swarm around it all summer long.
When it doesn’t get enough water, the plant’s leaves will droop and look lifeless, almost as if it’s begging for help. Don’t worry—it’s not beyond saving. Give it a thorough watering, making sure the soil is well-soaked but not waterlogged, and you’ll likely see it perk back up within a few hours.
Plants are surprisingly resilient when it comes to dehydration, but it’s best not to let them reach this point too often, as it can stress them over time. Aim to keep the soil evenly moist to help your plant stay healthy and happy.
Is this plant invasive?
Mexican petunias can become invasive under certain conditions. They spread quickly, producing seeds that can travel up to six feet away. In the lower elevations of the Southwest, where the climate is drier, they tend to be less aggressive. However, in areas with higher humidity and frequent rain, they are more likely to overtake spaces. Their invasive green leaves and rapid growth make them a plant to monitor carefully, especially in wetter environments.
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
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