Ruellia brittoniana 'Purple Showers'

Common Name: Mexican Petunia 'Purple Showers'

Colors: Blue Violet

Optimal Light:	Sun	Mature Height:	3ft-4ft
Light Range:	Full/Part Sun	Mature Spread:	3ft-4ft
Soil Moisture:	Well-drained to Wet	Soil Texture:	Any
Wildlife:		Salt Tolerance:	High
Florida Native:	No	Florida Region:	N,C,S
Drought Tolerance:	High	Hardiness Zone:	8-11
Season of Color:	Year-round
Comments: Mexican Petunia 'Purple Showers' - Ruellia brittoniana 'Purple Showers' (AKA R. twedia) is one of the toughest, showiest and most widely used Florida Friendly perennials. This cultivar does not produce seed and was found to be sterile by University of Florida research published in 2002 that was sponsored by the Department of Environmental Protection. This is important because the non sterile wild Mexican type has exploded in Florida wetlands over the last century and they are impossible to eradicate. The wild type is listed as a category 1 invasive species by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. Wading birds continue to spread the seeds far and wide making them a dominate species in many of our wetland areas. Purple Showers is a wonderful sterile Florida Friendly Plant. Your garden will have no impact on the wetlands and Purple Showers is an excellent choice as it grows well just about anywhere with little or no extra water or fertilizer thus reducing your environmental impact further.