PlantFiles: Philippine Violet
Barleria cristata

Very hard to find, but it was worth the effort. This year it waited until mid-October to start blooming, and it's lovely. Have not noticed any invasive tendencies.

Susceptible to root rot disease when overwatered. I got so tired of trimming rotted branches that I finally yanked the shrubs. However, I will spend the next few years pulling out seedlings. Not a biggie, as they're easy to pull. I'm rating as neutral b/c these shrubs generated too much work in my garden.

I love this plant for its deep foliage and late summer/fall blooms. It is very hardy in 9a. We had to back-to-back harsh winters, it died to the ground and was one of the first to show its head in early March. In Houston, they enjoy some afternoon shade or dappled sun.

I love this plant! It's easy to care for and adds color to my yard late in the season and easy to shape into what ever you want. I braided it and made a little tree.I've shaped it into spears.Every year I do something different with it. I don't understand why they call this plant invasive.I've had mine planted in my yard for 18 years.I've never had another pop up. I planted one and I still have only one.In fact the only way I've found to make another is by rooting cuttings.I've also read that it is nearly impossible to start from seeds and that alot of people get it confused with the Ruellia, a plant that reseeds prolifically and sends up huge quantities of volunteers.Every place I see this for sale they say it's a rare plant cause it won't come from seed only clippings.This is the only site I've found that calls it invasive.

I have had several of these plants in my yard for years. Small plants do pop up around the flower beds but I do not find them a problem. They will tolerate being cut way back to keep them to a tolerable size. Flowers are a great blue/purple color and they have a long flowering period. I thought about tearing them out this year because they are old plants and have started to get stalky underneath but couldn't do it once the new summer growth and flowers started coming. They do have sharp parts on them somewhere but I would not call them thorns so I would use gloves when handling them.

I love this plant - and yes it seeds prolifically which is great. It transplants well. They do need to be cut back fairly stringently before the growth season starts (I cut mine back in March here in Sarasota, Fl) or else they get leggy. They do best in partial shade, though I have them also growing in full sun. In the shade, the foliage gets dark lush green and the leaves get larger than in the sun.
Will try rooting from cuttings since I read this works well.

This is a great plant. I have been growing this in my zone 8B garden for almost 3 years, Each 'winter' it gets knocked back and it bounces back ever spring. Here in north central Florida it blooms from October-November. The blooms tend to last longer if plant in a more shady location. Both the blue and alba form, form a 4-5 foot clump after a while. I like to pair the blue form in a planting with winter cassia as the sulphur butterflies love both. They easily root in moist soil with an application of rooting hormone. I have not had problems with seedlings, but my yard is heavily mulched. I think it provides a nice splash of color. You can create a patriotic planting with the blue and white philippine violet along with red fire spike as they all in bloom at a similar time in zone 8B.

Easy to grow, and pretty. This could be a great plant instead of a nice one, if it had a nice sweet scent.

My Philippine violet has performed excellently the 2 years I have had it. It has bloomed briefly in the late spring and heavily in late summer until late fall or the first frost. It has not reseeded itself where it is planted probably because it has a heavy layer of mulch around it. The seedpods (seed pods) are found hidden amongst the dried bracts. They are black (or dark, dark brown), 5/8 of an inch long by 1/8 of an inch wide, and quite hard. Inside the seedpods are 2 roundish lighter colored seeds. They have a spring action mechanism that disperses the seeds from the seedpods after the seedpods dry and crack open (much like Mexican honeysuckle seeds do - see photo of the Mexican honeysuckle seedpod in the PlantFiles).

Update: June 29, 2010 - due to an extremely cold winter, my plant froze to the ground even though I covered it with blankets after pruning it down to about 2 feet; however, it has returned from the roots and is doing great. I have had a couple of babies come up from seed. They are easily dug up and I have shared them with friends.

I hate to label any plant as invasive but this one self-seeds with abandon and is one of two or three plants that have made me a regular customer for RoundUp. It is pretty, however.

In Central FL this blooms in Oct. and Nov. I've been told it may bloom again in the spring.

I received this plant last fall and kept it in the greenhouse until spring. It is 4 feet tall now and covered with blue flowers. The yellow sulphers love it.

A very tidy, 5 ft shrub which is a little shy of its first birthday. The dark green foliage is superb. And, I have seen no disease or insect problems of any kind. So far, I have 100% success on propagating from cuttings.

Love this plant! - Foliage beautiful dark green, nice round shape shrub, evergreen - flowers a nice extra. Provides excellent foliage contrast. Roots very easily in damp soil. Will take full shade or sun.

I didn't know what this plant was until today, thanks to "Floridian" at the identification forum. I have this planted in full shade and it has done extremely well. Its in full bloom for the second time this year, and a prolific reseeder. I'm very satisfied with this plant.

This plant is not native to the U.S. Zones 8b - 11. Prefers partial shade or partial sun to full sun; soil should be moist.