🌿 Mexican Petunia (Ruellia simplex)

Mexican Petunia is a hardy perennial that delivers a bold splash of color with its trumpet-shaped purple blooms. Known for its upright, clumping form and long blooming season, this plant thrives in Florida’s heat and humidity, making it a popular choice for low-maintenance landscapes. Its flowers attract butterflies and bees, while its resilience ensures it shines in both wet and dry soils.

🌸 Flowers & Foliage

• Foliage: Narrow, lance-shaped green leaves with a slightly glossy finish

• Flowers: Showy, funnel-shaped purple blooms that open daily from spring through fall

• Habit: Upright clumping growth with a tropical, lush appearance

🌱 Plant Details

• Type: Perennial flowering plant

• Mature Size: 2–3 ft. tall × 2–3 ft. wide

• Growth Habit: Clumping, spreading by rhizomes

• Exposure: Full sun to partial shade (best flowering in full sun)

• Soil: Adapts to wet, moist, or dry soils; tolerates poor soils well

• Water Needs: Low to moderate; thrives in both irrigated and drought conditions

• Hardiness: USDA Zones 8–11

• Maintenance: Low; cut back in late winter or early spring for fresh growth

🌟 Why We Love It

• Long blooming season — vibrant purple flowers appear nearly year-round in Florida

• Pollinator friendly — attracts butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds

• Tough & adaptable — handles wet, dry, and poor soils with ease

• Low maintenance — minimal care needed once established

🌼 Landscape Uses

• Mass plantings for bold color impact

• Borders and edging along driveways or fences

• Rain gardens and wetland edges

• Butterfly and pollinator gardens

• Containers or mixed tropical beds

⚠️ Plant Notes

• Can spread aggressively by rhizomes; choose dwarf or sterile cultivars like ‘Katie’ for smaller spaces.

• Cut back in late winter to keep growth tidy and encourage new blooms.

✅ Level To Leaf Tip: For the heaviest bloom display, plant Mexican Petunia in full sun and group them together — you’ll create a striking purple sweep that pollinators can’t resist.