My Mexican Petunias

A great green and flowering shrub. Mexican petunias will grow almost anywhere. Mine attract humming birds from early summer until late fall. They produce wonderful green stalks and profuse blue petunia flowers.

The green stalks have two nice shades to accent an area. And, the flowers are wonderful.

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Photo taken by Annlee Cakes in Arkansas City, Kansas

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The stems are pointed and the deep greens are nice as they change depth with the sun or the changing light of shading during the day.

Mexican petunias have a scientific name of "Ruellia brittoniana" and spread if you let them. I keep mine in bay because we built a deep wooden barrier around them from treated wood that is 12 inches wide and keeps the roots from spreading all over the place. We did this by burying the planks into the ground with only 1/2 inch left above ground. They are classified by Florida as a Category 1 invasive species so you should take this under consideration before buying a starter plant.However, if you plan ahead on how to keep them in check they make great backdrops for other plants as they grow fast and reach heights of four to almost five feet tall.

They are sold at many garden stores, coops and even on the internet.

Are they worth the effort and special care?

I think they are! Mine are now five years old and have filled the 5x6 foot contained area. They have not grown past the buried wood planks to date.

Humming birds hoover and gather every morning as the sun rises from the purple flowers. The flowers open up one day and then die during the night, but replaced by hundreds more the following morning.

I also grow the dwarf plants:

I suggest you find and buy the dwarf ruellia as a great starter for they do not tend to take over an area. The dwarf one is called "Britton's Mexican Petunia" or also called "Ruellia Brittoniana". The plant is a perennial flowering smaller bush that still grows three to four feet tall. And, it looks just like the full natural plant.

They enjoy full sunlight and do not require allot of water, but rather enjoy drier and even sandy locations. They will grow in all soils with amazing results and beautiful flowers.

Personally, I do not pick off the flowers that die but allow the winds and time for them to drop which is by a day or two. In the second year you can dig up and divide the plant if desired for a new starter in another area of your landscaping.

If your garden needs a deep green backdrop with the ability to flower continually and attract humming birds then this is the plant for you.

This year we are going to dig up half the roots and make three more planting areas for these neat flowering plants. Of course, first we are creating the wood plank stoppers to prevent the roots from spreading out beyond where we desire the plants to grow.

Photos are of my plants!

We are on the internet:

You also can plant them in a row to create a hedge.

But, remember the hedge only grows from spring to freeze in the fall.

Nevertheless, during the growing season they grow fast and make nice wind breakers as well.

Care in Fall: After they are dead simply cut back the dried stems and destroy them. DO NOT place them in your mulch pile or your going to have them growing all over the place and out of control.

We used then in our raised garden and fountain areas. As a green backdrop but with the joy of beautiful purple flowers all summer and fall.

I will add a short video of when we first created the raised garden area and the fountains for you to see what we did, And, what you could do.

Blessings.....Annlee

Photo is of Ground Spreading Petunias

Depicting what just ONE plant can cover.

This video shows how we removed an old building and then created the raised gardens and the beautiful fountain area.

Hope it gives you ideas!

In the video: When you see the house deck in the back ground.

Imagine it is now surrounded by Mexican Petunias every year?

Blessings........Annlee