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Native Plant Society of Texas

Prairie Petunia

Ruellia humilis

Other common name(s):

Fringeleaf Wild Petunia, Hairy Ruellia, Low Wild Petunia, Low Ruellia, Fringeleaf Ruellia, Fringe-leaf Wild Petunia

Family:

Acanthaceae (Acanthus Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland
Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
2
ft.

Spread

1.5
to
2
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Dry, Limestone, Loam, Moist, Rocky, Sand

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Purple

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Larval Host, Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Moths

Maintenance

Blooms in the heat of summer if given a little extra water. Reseeds readily. A good choice for a pollinator garden, prairie or meadow, rock garden. Not particularly common. Like most prairie plants, it is adapted to periodic fire and disturbance. Native habitat: restricted to dry open ground, and prairies or prairie remnants.

Description

Blooms May-September. Usually upright, sometimes sprawling, with a compact, leafy, bushy appearance. Pubescent leaves have an oval shape. Flowers have five petals, fused into a tube or funnel, then separating into rounded, spreading lobes. They occur as solitary or in crowded clusters in the axils of upper leaves. The fruit is a brownish, 2-chambered capsule. Larval host: Buckeye, Common Wood Nymph.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Ruellia ciliosa var. longiflora, Ruellia humilis var. calvescens, Ruellia humilis var. depauperata, Ruellia humilis var. expansa, Ruellia humilis var. frondosa, Ruellia humilis var. longiflora

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 53. 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RUHU. 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Ruellia+humilis&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 5) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=91&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=565466#null, 7) https://www.newmoonnursery.com/plant/Ruellia-humilis#:~:text=CULTURAL%20%26%20MAINTENANCE%20NEEDS%3A%20Ruellia%20humilis,not%20considered%20to%20be%20aggressive. 8) https://noddingoniongardens.com/ruellia-humilis/#:~:text=Propagation%20Notes%20Ruellia%20humilis&text=Seed%20%2D%20Collect%20late%20in%20fall,high%20February%202016%20germination%20rate.

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Stem Cutting Dip the stem ends in rooting hormone. Hold the rooted cuttings in a cold frame until spring. Cuttings can be taken in late spring or early summer. For cuttings, use a sharp knife to take a 4-6 inch cutting, 1) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RUHU 2) https://earthone.io/plant/ruellia%20humilis?srsltid=AfmBOooliDNHvvRWDcKQaFIAaShQF16MlYcNKyzgjqGslmlO_CDgoXNJ
Seed No Treatment Direct sow in late fall, planting just below the surface of the soil. Keep the soil lightly moist until germination, which usually takes 4-6 weeks. Water seedlings regularly until they become established. After the flowers fade, small seed pods will form. When ripe, the seed pods will begin to turn brown; remove them and spread them out to dry away from direct sunlight. Keep in mind that the pods often explode and expel their seed as they dry, and may need a light covering to contain the seed. Separate the wild petunia seed from the pods and store the seed in a cool, dry place. 1) https://www.everwilde.com/store/Ruellia-humilis-WildFlower-Seed.html#:~:text=HOW%20TO%20GROW,addition%20to%20a%20rock%20garden. 2) https://noddingoniongardens.com/ruellia-humilis/#:~:text=Propagation%20Notes%20Ruellia%20humilis&text=Seed%20%2D%20Collect%20late%20in%20fall,high%20February%202016%20germination%20rate. 3) https://www.wildflowerfarm.com/ruellia-humilis-wild-petunia.html
Seed Stratification For spring planting, mix the wild petunia seeds with moist sand and store in the refrigerator for 60 days before planting The Ruellia Humilis seeds can also be started indoors 6-8 weeks before planting in spring. Keep seedlings lightly moist, and transplant them as soon as they have developed several leaves. Water seedlings regularly until they become established. After the flowers fade, small seed pods will form. When ripe, the seed pods will begin to turn brown; remove them and spread them out to dry away from direct sunlight. Keep in mind that the pods often explode and expel their seed as they dry, and may need a light covering to contain the seed. Separate the wild petunia seed from the pods and store the seed in a cool, dry place. 1) https://www.everwilde.com/store/Ruellia-humilis-WildFlower-Seed.html#:~:text=HOW%20TO%20GROW,addition%20to%20a%20rock%20garden. 2) https://noddingoniongardens.com/ruellia-humilis/#:~:text=Propagation%20Notes%20Ruellia%20humilis&text=Seed%20%2D%20Collect%20late%20in%20fall,high%20February%202016%20germination%20rate.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason