Tubular, trumpet-shaped, 5-lobed, petunia-like, lavender to violet flowers (to 1.75” long) bloom from the upper leaf axils in loose purple-stemmed clusters (long-stalked cymes). A profuse bloomer 9-10 months out of the year. Flowering is very respectable but less frequent when plants are grown as annuals in northern gardens, but will typically bloom from May to September. Mexican-petunia (also known as Mexican bluebell or Britton’s petunia) is described as a “hardy perennial edging plant for flower beds and as colorful groundcovers.” Scientific names include Ruellia brittoniana, R. coerulea and R. tweediana, but taxonomists now use the name Ruellia simplex, which was the first name used to describe this species. Each flower blooms for only one day. The cultivar 'Purple Showers' is an upright, floriferous selection of Mexican petunia, a heat tolerant, evergreen subshrub native to the American tropics. Our staff is a diverse group of Certified Horticulturists, ready to assist you in a knowledgeable way. Once you've taken your desired amount of cuttings, remove the buds, flowers, and lower leaves from the stems. Transplanting Mexican petunias is best done in the fall before they go dormant in the winter. It typically grows to 3-4’ tall in the wild, but to 2-3’ tall in gardens. While Mexican petunias will grow in a variety of soil types, they prefer to be planted in well-drained, fertile soil. May be grown indoors as a houseplant. From shop CharlesCorner. General Description. It is shorter than other Ruellia cultivars and has adequate branching throughout so as to not look leggy.It blooms regularly and flowers have a nice, purple hue. The wild form has purple flowers, and is native to Mexico, Western South America and the Antilles. In shadier areas, the stems will present as a solid green. Mexican petunias will spread quickly and naturally—sometimes aggressively— especially in moist climates. RUELLIA coerulea 'Purple Showers' Plant Common Name. Special Notice. It is a fast grower that may self-seed aggressively. Plant Categories. Purple Showers Ruellia Texas Peutunia Flowering Perennial Shrub 1 Gal. As long as they're placed in a sunny spot, they grow well in indoor pots and outdoor planters alike. Buy Purple Showers Mexican Petunia 'Purple Showers' is an upright and fast growing Mexican petunia that spreads by underground tubers. Established plants have respectable drought tolerance. 2 more photos VIEW GALLERY. This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep. They don't get very tall—just 3 or 4 feet high—so keeping them trimmed back can be done usually without a ladder or other special equipment. Ruellia ‘Purple Showers’ is a stalk-like plant that has long, skinny leaves. When you first see a Mexican petunia, you may mistake them for the common annual petunia as their flowers are quite similar. Cover a large space or disguise unsightly items in the landscape. Plants are most invasive in moist areas. tall and blooms a purple flower all year long. 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. Easy to care for and great for use as coverage, ruellia plants offer unique beauty to landscape areas. Most are native to the tropical and occasionally temperate areas of Africa, Asia and the Americas. Flowers are followed by bean-like pods (to 1” long) which explosively dehisce mature seed in all directions. No serious insect or disease problems. As a fast-growing shrub, they may need to be repotted more frequently than other plants. It is been given a number of different names, including R. brittoniana, R. coerulea, R. malacosperma and R. tweediana. Excellent annual flowering plant for areas where it is not winter hardy. Plants branch from the ground into several woody-based stems clothed with elongated, linear, willow-like, dark green leaves (to 6-12” long and ¾” wide) that are often tinged with purple. They can withstand shade and partial shade but will be less productive if planted in these areas. Like daylilies, they only bloom once a day, but continuously bloom throughout the summer. Mexican petunias do benefit from pruning, especially if they're grown as a hedge. Straight species plants are rarely sold, but several established cultivars are regularly sold (pink, purple or white flowers in tall and dwarf forms).Genus name honors Jean de la Ruelle (1474-1537), French herbalist and physician to Francois I (1494-1547) who was king of France from 1515 until his death in 1547.Specific epithet of simplex is in reference to the leaves being simple.‘Purple Showers’ is a vigorous, upright, Mexican petunia (also called Mexican blue bell) that typically grows in a clump to 3-4’ tall. Conifers Crape Myrtles Grasses Groundcovers Perennials Rose Shrubs Trees Vines. Invasiveness is clearly not a problem in St. Louis, however, where these plants are grown as annuals, with stem cuttings overwintered indoors if desired. Each flower lasts for just one day. However, pruning Mexican petunias is entirely up to you, and really just depends on how quickly and how much you want your petunias to flourish. The funnel-shaped flowers are the primary draw for many of the species and are sometimes called Mexican petunias. The color of the stems will vary depending on the light conditions—the more light the plant receives, the more purple you will find on their stems. Winter hardy to USDA Zone 8 (marginally hardy in Zone 7 with protection and mulch) where it is best grown in medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. They're unique in that they're drought resistant and yet they also survive floods. Mexican petunia is an attractive blue- to purple-flowered perennial that is available at some garden centers. This three-foot-tall evergreen shrub bears many tubular, blue or purple, petunia-like flowers on dark stems over a long period. Purple Showers Ruellia is quite adaptable to soil types and moisture levels but will produce the most flowers in a good garden soil with average moisture. The Spruce / Autumn Wood How to Grow Mexican Petunias Common Name: Mexican petunia Type: Herbaceous perennial Zone: 8 to 10 Average Rating: Your Name ... our purple showers are beautiful, we live here in florida and they really do great here, we planted them a couple of years ago,and they have just took off, great plant. This spring, UF/IFAS Extension agents were given the opportunity to try Mayan TM Series Ruellia at their local offices. These leaves cast a metallic blue color under direct sunlight. Seeds persist in the soil. Upon a closer look, you may notice the long and thin leaves of the Mexican petunia are quite different from the furry, full and pointed leaves of the annual petunia. Tubular, petunia-like flowers (to 1.5”) bloom freely from the leaf axils from late spring to frost (sometime year round in USDA Zones 8-10) on greenish-purple stems clad with linear, willowy, sword-shaped, green leaves. Since they can spread at a fast pace, you may consider growing them in a more contained area so they don't end up taking over your entire lawn. Search by Plant Name A B C D E F G H I … Even if you live in an arid climate, you can still raise a fantastic garden full of bright and showy Mexican petunias. Mexican petunia is a vigorous (some say aggressive), shrubby, woody-based plant is that is easy to propagate by cuttings, division and seed. It was introduced to Florida in the 1940s. Ruellia brittoniana 'Purple Showers' Shrubs, subshrubs, and evergreen perennials in about 150 species from tropical America, Africa, and Asia belong to the genus Ruellia. $0.00. This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors. They are inexpensive, low maintenance, and drought-resistant. However, Mexican petunia (Ruellia simplex*) has been classified as a highly invasive plant in Florida. This plant can be trimmed to … Plants also tolerate high heat and humidity. Considered by some experts to be much less invasive than the non-sterile Mexican species. When given ideal growing conditions, Mexican petunias are not very susceptible to blight. While there are other Ruellia cultivars in purple, white, and pink, including some dwarf varieties, we grow ‘Purple Showers’ because it is sterile. A wonderful container filler is the ‘Purple Showers’ variety of Mexican petunia (Ruellia simplex ‘Purple Showers’ syn. Cut back stems after flowering to encourage new flowers. Considerable confusion has existed over the years as to the correct specific epithet for this plant. At this time, R. simplex is the preferred name because it has been determined that this was the name first given to this plant in 1870 when it was described in Cuba, and accordingly that name has priority. Purple Showers Mexican Petunia is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Live Plants 6.25" x 6.25" Roots Plus 18" Foliage Spring Summer Bloom CharlesCorner. 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