Ruellia, Desert Petunia, Florida Bluebells, Mexican Petunia, Mexican Blue Bells 'Katie'
Ruellia simplex
Family: | Acanthaceae (ah-kanth-AY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | Ruellia (roo-EL-ee-uh) (Info) |
Species: | simplex (SIM-plecks) (Info) |
Cultivar: | Katie |
Additional cultivar information: | (aka Katy, Nolan's Dwarf) |
Category:
Tropicals and Tender Perennials
Water Requirements:
Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Foliage:
Herbaceous
Foliage Color:
Dark Green
Height:
under 6 in. (15 cm)
Spacing:
9-12 in. (22-30 cm)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
Where to Grow:
Grow outdoors year-round in hardiness zone
Suitable for growing in containers
Danger:
N/A
Bloom Color:
Pink
Lavender
Bloom Characteristics:
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Late Spring/Early Summer
Mid Summer
Late Summer/Early Fall
Blooms repeatedly
Other details:
May be a noxious weed or invasive
Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
By dividing the rootball
From herbaceous stem cuttings
Self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season
Seed Collecting:
Bag seedheads to capture ripening seed
N/A: plant does not set seed, flowers are sterile, or plants will not come true from seed
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Dothan, Alabama
Loxley, Alabama
Chandler, Arizona
Goodyear, Arizona
Marana, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Yorba Linda, California
Brooksville, Florida
Delray Beach, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Hollywood, Florida
Keystone Heights, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Ormond Beach, Florida
Alpharetta, Georgia
Decatur, Georgia
Baton Rouge, Louisiana(2 reports)
New Iberia, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
West Monroe, Louisiana
Hulbert, Oklahoma
Stilwell, Oklahoma
Conway, South Carolina
Summerville, South Carolina
Smyrna, Tennessee
Alvin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Baird, Texas
Bellville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Converse, Texas
Denton, Texas
Elgin, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Garland, Texas
Houston, Texas
Katy, Texas
Mc Kinney, Texas
Missouri City, Texas
New Caney, Texas
Portland, Texas
Richmond, Texas
Rowlett, Texas(2 reports)
San Antonio, Texas(2 reports)
Santa Fe, Texas
Kalama, Washington
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
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Positive | On Sep 4, 2018, legalsmith from Baton Rouge, LA wrote: I love this plant! In 2009, I planted lavender, pink and white varieties in my back yard where I have big dogs. They bloom from early summer until it freezes, if it freezes. Evergreen in mild winters, it will freeze to the ground and return in spring when we have a hard winter. |
Positive | On Nov 16, 2015, siege2055 from Stilwell, OK (Zone 7a) wrote: This one self sows a lot, I have them coming up all over my porch in the cracks between the boards, and in my other potted tropicals as the seedpods are explosive. I have also collected and tested the seed and they germinate very easily, I have not grown any of the seedlings large enough yet to determine if they are going to be dwarf or revert back to the taller form, but in warmer places Katie could be invasive if it reverts, judging by all the seedlings I have all over the place. Here I doubt the smaller seedlings will make it through the winter, but we shall see. If the seedlings grow true, then yay! I will have hundreds of them. I am going to start a tray of 72 seedlings this spring to see what happens, I will update this when I find out as I am sure others would like to know, but afte... read more |
Positive | On Apr 30, 2011, txsage from Katy, TX wrote: This one grows like a weed - healthy and blooming most of the time, Houston heat and cold tolerant. Freeze kills foliage, but not roots, comes back every year, often in new places. |
Positive | On Nov 18, 2007, Riverland from Northeast, LA (Zone 8a) wrote: I absolutely love this plant stays contained in clumps for me. This is not the mexican Petunia that is considered invasive , It does not develop seed and throw them all around like it's tall cousin. |
Positive | On May 26, 2007, vossner from East Texas, This plant annoys me sometimes because it does spread; however, they are very easy to remove at any stage of growth. |
Positive | On May 24, 2007, WUVIE from Hulbert, OK (Zone 7a) wrote: Recently I acquired "Katie Bluebells" from an aquatic |
Positive | On Jun 13, 2006, MizCharlie from Winter Garden, FL wrote: I tried to add a note regarding the danger of this plant. Here's what the Florida Dept of Ag says about it: |
Positive | On Jul 16, 2004, cheryldawn from Lakeland, FL wrote: I live in lakeland Florida. I bought a pink Mexican petunia four years ago . It's now almost 2 1/2 foot high. I have 13 plants now from cuttings and some from little baby plants that came from it. It must be the less invasive variety as mine has little cane like stems and are compact and very |
Positive | On Mar 11, 2004, sweezel from McKinney, TX (Zone 8a) wrote: Much more interesting and much less invasive than the other cultivars. I planted my transplant in May and it had expanded to at least twice it's original size by frost so it is good for filling in spots quickly. Also, it is very easily divided if it spreads out because the stalks pull up separately. Also comes in white or pink blooming varieties. |
Positive | On Sep 26, 2003, CDauphinet from New Iberia, LA (Zone 8b) wrote: It's easy to divide and share this plant: pull the extra stems off, making sure there's a bit of root attached. Just stick it in the ground - very easy to grow. I also have the pink and grows just as well! |
Positive | On Sep 25, 2003, htop from San Antonio, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: "Katie" is sometimes called Nolan's dwarf. Shortly after Lynn R. Lowrey, a well known Houston horticulturalist and collector (considered to be the founder of the native plant movement in Texas) sold his nursery in Conroe, Texas, to his friend Katie Fergerson, two employees, Herbert Durand and Nolan Guillot, discovered a short growing natural hybrid Ruellia. After it was brought to Lowrey’s attention, he began testing, cultivating, sharing and promoting it after naming it after his friend. Both Katie Fergerson and Lynn Lowery are now deceased, but their contributions to horticultural endeavors live on. |