PlantFiles: Philippine Violet
Barleria cristata

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).

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.