Ruellia humilis

"Wild Petunia" is the common name for a genus of plants in the Acanthaceae family known as Ruellia. The charming plant pictured below is Ruellia humilis, a very easy to grow, native, flowering perennial. It can be found growing wild in exactly half of the states in the US - http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=RUHU The specific epithet "humilis" refers to the low growing habit of the plant. In that respect, I've used this colorful, long flowering plant as a ground cover. The deer pay no mind to it, and it can take full sun to full shade quite well. I grow Ruellia in average soil but have trialed it in various conditions and the only habitat this plant seems to object to is wet soil. And as your eyes tell you from looking at the image, the common name "Wild Petunia" is not a stretch of the imagination as are some common names. These flowers really do resemble the annual Petunias that almost every gardener in the world grows for season long color. But unlike the Petunia, Ruellia humilis is a perennial and returns year after year only to be bigger and more robust. I hear so many gardeners lamenting that there aren't enough really exceptional blue plants for their gardens. Well, lament no more! This is that highly desirable, sought after blue. Ruellia humilis seems to be in bloom almost all Spring, Summer and Autumn and has never been touched by insects or any other type of pests in my garden.

Wild Petunia's claim to fame is its lovely violet flower trumpets, a hummingbird favorite! Seldom growing more than a foot tall, this rare plant is perfect for dry, hot locations such as rock gardens and dry sandy or rocky soils. Ruellia humilis also thrives in well-drained loam. Hardy to Zones 4 - 9, Wild Petunia self seeds with seeds that explode, making it able to hold its own with larger, aggressive plants.

Acanthacaea, 2" violet blue Petunia like flowers in the upper leaf axils native to the Eastern States but far to seldom seen in gardens. ZONE 5

Though not actually related to Petunias, the pretty 2" lavender-blue flowers of this drought-tolerant native (to 2') do indeed resemble them. Sun/Med-Dry/GdDrain