Mexican Petunia

Mexican petunia

Yes, Ruellia brittoniana is a perennial. In areas with warm winters, this plant is evergreen. For areas with cold winters, it is sometimes used as an annual.

Do Mexican petunias need full sun?

Mexican petunia grows and blooms best in full sun or partial shade. It will grow in shade, but doesn't bloom as much and looks leggy and lanky. This sun-loving perennial likes rich, slightly moist soil so mulch the plants to maintain consistent soil conditions, especially during hot, dry weather.

Do Mexican petunias multiply?

Mexican petunia spreads naturally by both seeds – it can spew the small brown discs as far as ten feet – and rhizomes. Photo by Gretchen Heber. You can also propagate this plant via purchased seeds, cuttings, or division.

Are all Mexican petunias invasive?

You shouldn't plant Mexican petunia in your garden, unless you're able to buy a cultivar like 'Purple Showers' that has been tested and specifically found not to be invasive. There's also a native wild petunia, Ruellia caroliniensis, but it's not as widely available.

Do hummingbirds like Mexican petunias?

With little care these plants produce flowers in white, purple or many shades of blue. They resemble the petunia flower we are familiar with, but the two plants are NOT related. Butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to the colorful blooms, which makes the plants popular with backyard gardeners.

Do Mexican petunias reseed themselves?

This plant is native to Central and South America and the Caribbean. Mexican petunia plants will spread by rhizomes and self-seeding in the garden and have aggressively naturalized in South Carolina, Texas, and Hawaii.

Is Miracle Grow good for petunias?

Best Fertilizer For Petunias Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer with an 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 ratio throughout the growing season, or use a product like Miracle Grow. Feeding the plants throughout the growing season will ensure consistent growth and lots of flowers.

Do you deadhead Mexican petunias?

Snip off spent flowers before they can go to seed, and cut off and pull out, if necessary, any stems on the Mexican petunia that have fallen to the ground and rooted in the soil.

Do Mexican petunias need a lot of water?

Mexican petunia plant is very hardy able to survive drought as well as flooding. The best approach is for watering just enough to keep the soil consistently moist. While these plants are sturdy and can go without water for a long time, young petunia ruellia simplex needs regular watering.

What animal eats Mexican petunias?

The insect culprit is Heliothis virescens also known as the Tobacco Budworm, Geranium Budworm and Petunia Budworm. It is a 1” brown moth that usually flutters around the plants in the evening.

How do you winterize a Mexican petunia?

Overwintering Mexican Petunias is comparable to overwintering other species of flowering plants. Cut the foliage to about two inches. Next, bring the petunias indoors at the end of the growing season, right before the first frost, and place them in the basement or garage.

Is Mexican petunia toxic to dogs?

Petunias are non-poisonous to children and pets, making these vigorous bloomers a great addition to your yard or patio space.

Are Mexican petunias illegal?

But Mexican petunias are actually Ruellia simplex, fast-growing perennials with green to purple stems and green leaves. The wild, invasive form of this plant is so aggressive, it's banned in some states, and it's on a watch list of invasive plants in others.

What are the benefits of Mexican petunia?

The genus has been traditionally claimed to be used for the treatment of flu, asthma, fever, bronchitis, high blood pressure, eczema, and diabetes.

How do you control Mexican petunias?

The best bet is to treat the foliage of the plants with glyphosate and kill them back to the root. Regrowth after the first application is expected, so be prepared to spray again each time you notice the plants setting new leaves.

What causes Mexican petunias Not to bloom?

Common Reasons Why Petunias Aren't Blooming Petunias need about 6 hours of direct sunlight a day to bloom. Anything less and existing buds may not open, and new buds will not even form. Not enough sunlight is an easy fix, and you can either move the container or basket or transplant the Petunias to a sunnier spot.

How hardy are Mexican petunias?

Mexican petunias are hardy in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 11. As its name indicates, Mexican petunias are native to Mexico and South America, and are most frequently seen in sunny, warm climates. They can be grown in shade or sun, but will bloom more profusely with direct sunlight.

What is a hummingbird's favorite flower?

Brightly-colored flowers that are tubular tend to produce the most nectar, and are particularly attractive to hummingbirds. These include perennials such as bee balms, columbines, daylilies, and lupines; biennials such as foxgloves and hollyhocks; and many annuals, including cleomes, impatiens, and petunias.

How do you make Mexican petunias fuller?

You can cut back all the branches at once. You will have a full, compact blooming petunia plant in a couple of weeks. You can also cut back (by 1/4 or 1/2) just some of the branches scattered evenly throughout the plant.

What is the white stuff on my Mexican petunias?

Plants are developing white woolly patches on their leaves and stems and people are wondering if it was powdery mildew or a chemical residue. Turns out it is neither. It is a type of growth distortion called an erineum and it is caused by tiny mites called eriophyid mites.