Ruellia simplex 'Purple Showers'

The large 2" deep bluish-purple trumpets are born freely from summer to fall on upright to arching burgundy stems with deep bronzy green glossy foliage. Purple Showers Mexican Petunia is sterile and so it can spend more energy on an endless supply of beautiful purple trumpets instead of adding unwanted seedlings to the garden. This wonderful and vigorous selection produces larger flowers and foliage than other Mexican Petunias. 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. Makes an excellent addition to mixed containers or in the garden and unlike other Mexican Petunias it won't take over your garden. Moderately drought tolerant once well established. In frost free zones this tough little perennial can become shrub-like in the northern parts of its hardiness range it may freeze to the ground but will readily return in spring.

Mexican Petunia is commonly grown as a bog or marginal water plant but adapts well to average garden conditions. This selection easily reaches 3-4' with purple tinted stems and narrow dark green leaves. 2" violet purple petunia-like flowers are displayed on short stems at the leaf axils. It is not hardy for us in zone 6, but we hear it can not only form sizable clumps in milder climates, but is evergreen as well. (7) 8