(Britton's Wild Petunia, Mexican Petunia)

The everblooming 'Dwarf Katie' is a compact Mexican petunia ideal for container plantings and summer beds. It produces many pale violet-blue, trumpet-shaped flowers with that are five-lobed and ruffled at the edges. These appear against pretty dark green, lance-shaped foliage from late spring to fall. In the far south they may continue to flower through winter. This common tender perennial is actually a vigorous evergreen subshrub native to South America, though it has naturalized in parts of the...

(Britton's Wild Petunia, Mexican Petunia)

The cultivar 'Purple Showers' is an upright, floriferous selection of Mexican petunia, a heat tolerant, evergreen subshrub native to the American tropics. From spring to fall (and in winter in frost-free climates), it produces masses of funnel-shaped, ruffled, five-lobed, lavender-purple flowers on erect maroon stems. Butterflies love the flowers. The arching, lance-shaped, puckered leaves are paired along the stems. Dark green, they may become pewter-tinted in hot sun. Although sterile (not producing...

(Ruellia)

Laughing at brutal summer heat and humidity, this low shrubby evergreen perennial from Brazil bears bright hummingbird-attracting flowers over a long season. The dazzling red tubular flowers with wide-flaring lobes appear on wiry upright stems above dense clumps of oval medium green leaves. The opposite leaves are fuzzy and sometimes gray-tinged. Flowers are produced spring to fall (or year-round in frost-free climates), attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. Plants spread slowly to form a large...

(Cuban Petunia)

The genus Ruellia encompasses about 300 species. Most are native to the tropical and occasionally temperate areas of Africa, Asia and the Americas. They are typically perennial herbs or shrubs with showy flowers.

Leaves are variable in shape and color, held opposite of each other on the stems and are without lobes. Large flowers are usually funnel-shaped ending with five, spreading lobes. They are produced singly or in clusters from the ends of the branches or the joint between the...

(Cuban Petunia, Purple Showers Ruellia)

The genus Ruellia encompasses about 300 species. Most are native to the tropical and occasionally temperate areas of Africa, Asia and the Americas. They are typically perennial herbs or shrubs with showy flowers.

Leaves are variable in shape and color, held opposite of each other on the stems and are without lobes. Large flowers are usually funnel-shaped ending with five, spreading lobes. They are produced singly or in clusters from the ends of the branches or the joint between the...

(Limestone Wild Petunia, Wild Smooth Petunia)

Across the central eastern United States, partially sunny to dappled shade openings in woodlands or grasslands are home to the limestone wild petunia. This upright, sometimes branching perennial produces lavender-plum and white flowers from very late spring to fall, depending on climate. Fall frosts kill the plant back to its roots.

The green leaves are large pointed ovals that occur in opposite pairs along the square stems. Flowers arise at the base of the leaves. Usually two develop and are...

(Painted Tongue)

Flaunting flamboyant blooms of red or bronze or purple that are heavily veined and laced with yellow, red, brown or other contrasting colors, this annual from the southern Andes is spectacular in gardens where summers are mild and dry. An upright, knee- to waist-high plant, it bears petunia-shaped five-lobed flowers on upright stems from summer to frost. The narrowly oval, medium green leaves are wavy-edged and sticky to the touch. Plants may be lanky and flop easily unless pinched or staked. Compact,...

(Ornamental Sage)

This tough, compact tender perennial features dense upright spikes of deep blue flowers which just keep coming all summer. A patented variety, ‘Mystic Spires’ is a sport of the popular salvia hybrid ‘Indigo Spires’, and is much more dwarf in size than its taller parent. ‘Indigo Spires’ was originally discovered in Southern California at the famous Huntington Botanical Garden, and is the result of a chance cross between the Mexican species Salvia farinacea and Salvia longispicata.

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